• Lizzie’s business journey and how she got started
• How to navigate the conversation of starting a business with family or friends who aren’t on board with the idea
• What exactly copywriting is and why businesses need it
• How to leverage your time and zone of genius
• How Lizzie helps business owners find their big voices
• Being authentic and expressing your personality in your copy and how it helps in growing your business

Connect with our fabulous Speaker

Lizzie Macaulay | Write It! 

Lizzie is the owner and head copywriter at Write It! – a service giving small businesses big voices. She specialises in delivering bold, brave copy that inspires trust and builds a genuine rapport with her clients’ audience.

Juggling life as a mum and business owner, Lizzie has a deep understanding of her clients’ need to be supported, heard, and authentically expressed.

Her newest venture is through bringing like-minded entrepreneurs and experts together for working weekends away. Carving out time to work ON rather than IN their businesses is such a common challenge for women in trying their best to ‘do it all’… so Lizzie is doing something about it with her ‘Get It Done’ working retreats!

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Full Episode Transcription

Unknown Speaker 0:02
Welcome to take control with Nicola. as business owners, we experienced firsthand the fine line between our personal and business lives. During our conversations, we will look at simple hints and tips to create time, reduce, overwhelm, and help you to navigate through your journey to where you want to be. If you’re looking for smarter ways to work and create space and time freedom in your day, then you’re in the right place. All right, let’s go.

Unknown Speaker 0:35
Hello, Hello, and thank you for joining me for this fabulous episode of take control with Nicole. Today I have the amazing Lizzie Macaulay here with me. And we are going to be exploring a topic that business owners have had challenges with and we really are going to focus on how do we get it done. Now but firstly, I would love to introduce you to Lizzie. Lizzie is the owner and head copywriter at writing a service giving small businesses big voices who are like that she specializes in delivering bold, brave copy that inspires trust and builds a genuine rapport with her clients’ audience juggling life as a mom and a business owner, Lizzie has a deep understanding of her client’s needs to be supported, heard and authentically expressed. And I can tell you that that is absolutely true because I have had the experience and the pleasure of working with Lizzy and Oh, I’m so so so excited that you’re here to join me. Hello, Lizzie. Thank you.

Unknown Speaker 1:42
Nicole was quite the introduction. Thank you so much for having me along.

Unknown Speaker 1:48
My pleasure. Oh, no, it’s so lovely. Now for everyone that’s listening. Lizzie and I met about probably this time last year actually thinking about that it’s got to be our anniversary soon we’ll have to look at celebrating. Oh, we will in different states, like virtual dinner, virtual winding candles. So here we made a vat of Here we go. We’re thinking I’m on Lizzie Siri, she did a series called to save your sanity. And she put a call out for someone to talk about time management. And of course, we all know that that’s something that I just like to talk about a tiny little bit. And ever since we’ve just had a great connection. And we’ve always kept in touch and done little work through work exchange things together. And now you were here. And so I would love you to share a little bit about you. How did you come up with a concept for your business? And when did you know that it was the time to just go out and write it? Who what that?

Unknown Speaker 2:56
You said See, this is why I named my business what I do because it’s a directive thing isn’t it? Right it do it? Or I could be more polite about an invite you kindly to write it. As you mentioned, I’m many or wear many hats in my life. I’m on mom’s coast, but wife Yes. business owner, yes, all these things. And there was a point where I just needed more for myself. So I started before I had kids. I started writing professionally when I was No we’re not. What am I saying when I was how many years old? No, I started writing professionally in 2015. I was writing features for the local newspaper, which is where I live is in regional Queensland. So local businesses are almost exclusively small businesses and owner-operated and they’ve kind of just nestled into my heart for that because small business owners need to wear a lot of hats as well need to be all things to all people. So it really stayed with me. It’s a really formative experience, I suppose as far as my writing goes. So I stopped writing for the payments. I have my two beautiful girls. But they kind of got to a point where Yeah, I just needed I needed to use that passion, that creativity and it needed to think about more than changes of nappies and sleep schedules and what’s for dinner. Because, you know, I’ve been working since I was 14. So there’s inherent need to do. which you may have some thoughts about it.

Unknown Speaker 4:35
Saying that it’s really isn’t that funny. I had a couple of beautiful ladies on talking about that guilt that mom guilt of, well, you know, I want to I want to be a mom and I am a mom but but I’ve got this other side of me and I need to do something there but all but now I can’t. But you know what I’ve always created even since you know when I had Sebastian. He’s five now. Almost six this year, which is crazy, I knew that I was never going to be a full time stay at home Mum, I just knew for me, I needed that other side. And to just step into that and know that you deserve to be filling your cup as much as we love our family, we love our kids, we love our partners, you still need to be in a in a zone of work in particular, because there’s a lot of hours that go into here and doing something you love. So right working with the people that you want to work with, and being surrounded by those people that are actually, you know, your cheerleaders, and you’re really good support people was, you know, it’s, it’s the way to go. Sorry, I applaud you for taking that step and doing it.

Unknown Speaker 5:45
Easily, you know, the moms that that are fulfilled with being moms is absolutely amazing as well. Hats off to that, too. I think that’s incredible. And I found for me, for better or worse, some parts of my personality are grounded in what, what I do and how I think and how I how I operate like that. So, for me, that’s what I needed. And so about six months before I started my business, I’d had this conversation over, you know, it was a dinner, we had friends that we had actually our financial advisor over and I’d said to him, you know, human, his wife and two, Angie, my husband, this is what I’m thinking of doing. People need this in my area. And then he was like, No, no, no, no, no, no, that’s not got legs, you can just go find yourself for john, when you ready. I was like, Okay, and so I put I put the idea down for a beat, but it just kept nagging and nagging at me until I just couldn’t not do it. So yeah, about two years ago now opened up my my copywriting business. And I suppose the rest is pretty much history in that sense.

Unknown Speaker 6:56
That’s so good. And sometimes it is an interesting conversation when you’re going to launch your own business, because it doesn’t have the safety of working for someone else. I know, I had similar conversations not so much with Simon he was 100% on board from the get go, but, but my parents were like, but you’ve got a mortgage, and you’ve got two kids, why don’t you just go and find someone else to you know, find another job to work for someone I’m like, that’s just not what I want to do.

Unknown Speaker 7:30
I know that’s not going to make me happy. No, absolutely. And I think for me, I had the wonderful example of my mum being a business owner working from home my entire life. So I had that model. And honestly, my entire life I’ve been searching for a way to do that for myself, but I never found anything that I liked enough to turn into a business. And I suppose that conversation quite often with partners or family or or whoever’s being skeptical, it’s just about having the confidence to back yourself and be clear that your skills are valuable, and that you will find a way. I guess it’s really exciting. It’s a good feeling,

Unknown Speaker 8:08
isn’t it? It’s really lovely. And when you’ve taken you took that step, and you get that first client. Still remember I was like oh my gosh, pop the champagne. It’s happening. People actually need me in that world. Like, Ah, sorry. That reassurance of Yes, I’ve made that right. Step out. And this is happening.

Unknown Speaker 8:29
to pop champagne. Absolutely. Well, I’m all about salaries Friday, let’s celebrate with food fun. Friday. No, that’s probably problematic. Let’s

Unknown Speaker 8:42
guess. Scott, I talk about wine a lot on these. Please note that all in moderation. Let’s be safe people but celebrate. It’s all about the celebration in whatever way you do that. Now copyrighting, people have heard of it. But they might be asking what exactly is it? And why do I need it in my worlds?

Unknown Speaker 9:05
Can you talk about that? Yeah, I can do it at length. So I’m going to try and keep it brief. Especially again, like I live in a regional area where businesses are pretty happy to you know, have a free Facebook group and call that a three Facebook page and call that their online presence, which like makes me cringe to my toenails. But we’ve got copies everywhere. You know, it’s even if you don’t think about it, you know, somebody has written that website or somebody has written that your product descriptions or your sales page or, you know, just the emails that are coming to you like I bet your inbox is about as bombarded as mine with sales stuff, like buy this now and rah rah and copywriting Honestly, it will that’s the basis of his people like me, right, things like that. And it’s not just for advertising. There’s all sorts of reasons Step and write things.

Unknown Speaker 10:01
And realistically, it’s kind of the difference. Having a copywriter or maybe doing it yourself is the difference between, say, having raving fans for life, and your competitor doing better than you, you know, like, because if you’re doing it yourself, sometimes it’s it’s just harder, especially if it’s not in your genius zone, you know, we talk a lot about genius zone. And there are a million things you’re good at, that’s why you went into business, that doesn’t necessarily mean that that writing is your, your thing, and it takes you a lot longer. And so just the way there are experts in any field, writing is kind of mine. For better or worse for almost two years, it’s what I love him. And it really helps a business connect with your audience, you know,

Unknown Speaker 10:48
yeah, and I find this well, you know, like, I, I can write, I can, and, gosh, years of business writing, there’s so many different types of writing is life business report writing, and then I, you know, I did a, I went to back to uni for a little bit, and I did a unikl battery. And it was my first time at uni I did ever went officially to uni, but I did and then educational writing, oh my goodness, that’s a whole lot of capital efficient. But then when you want to start your own business, and you’re actually talking about yourself, I know that’s something that I do struggle with, because I don’t want to seem to be, you know, tooting my own horn or anything like that. And I think having someone like you to come in and go, actually, you are fabulous. And this is how we need to represent you on your website, because people need to know this about you before they’ve met you. Once. What I find once I speak to people, people, like know who I can instantly see I’m a genuine person, but before they’ve spoken to me they need that on there. What could Yeah, that’s the gateway to the conversation is having something written down somewhere most of the time, you know, like, we’re such a web based society now online, or at least in the Western world about whatever.

Unknown Speaker 12:06
We’re very web based. I think it’s something like 97% of your awareness of you is online, which is a terrifying statistic. Especially if you’re not nailing it, you know, like, so what impression are creating if you’re not getting your your message, right. But But articulating it for yourself, as you say, you know, like talking yourself up, it’s not really something that most people are good at. And nor should it be like, We’re not here to be like, egotistical kind of people. But it’s really important to find that balance between talking yourself up and not being anywhere not being present. And it’s really essential that you get that that line, right, so that people understand that your product or your service is brilliant, and they need it in their lives, and it’s going to change their lives for the better. It’s like everyone I work with is so incredibly talented and so creative and so resourceful. And it’s just such an honor that I get to be a part of that and express that to the world for them. And even if they can write, it’s not really about that. It’s it takes, it’s kind of a shortcut, some people really struggle with the writing, some people fell simply with the time to do it. And he either end of that spectrum is really important to have someone who does it for job while they’re doing this stuff. That’s important. Like their genius own stuff, I guess.

Unknown Speaker 13:32
Yeah, absolutely. You know, and that’s a really good point. You know, I was talking about this, you know, yes, we can probably do it all. But should we be doing it all? Like, if it’s gonna take you an hour to write something? Why don’t we find someone who reads and they’re gonna take half an hour or 20 minutes, or whatever it is, you know, it might still take an hour, but it’s gonna be amazing. Ah, yeah, absolutely. I’m all about that. Sorry. Given that you are helping business owners really find their big voices. How do you actually help them to achieve that, especially when they’ve got certain goals or, you know, may be marketing or they’re wanting to really focus on increasing sales and clients like, how do you? What’s the process that

Unknown Speaker 14:21
you work through? The starting point is always understanding what drives them. We’re getting to know the person, the business owner, even before you get to know what they’re trying to do, what they’re selling, even who they’re who their dream clients are like and who their existing clients are. Obviously, we go through a great big briefing process and understanding what makes them tick, how they sound or what they want to sound like. And what makes them different and special is kind of the basis of everything else. And I would argue that no matter what your goal is, that is that is fundamental. Is is understanding your Specific, unique qualities that make you different than your competitors and make you different than anybody else in the world. They’re all different and unique. But sometimes articulating that is quite difficult. Especially when articulating it might be slightly risky. Compared to just being, you know, cookie cutter and same, same and safe. I don’t. I tend to trend away from safe because, you know, big personalities exist everywhere and need to be expressed. And that’s how you find your people. You know, that’s how you find the most dedicated. tell everyone about them kind of people. And those are the people you want come into your business, not people who are playing it safe and just work going based on the first one they find, you know, like, it’s about attracting and a bit of a siren song, I guess, bringing people in that are your perfect people for you. And your business.

Unknown Speaker 16:01
I yeah, absolutely. I have been through that journey. You know, my businesses. Gosh, we’re almost a year and a half, we’re a year and a half insane. Whoo, have fun. And it will be the 10th of June obey your and uh huh. Anyway, um, I came from corporate space, as you know, and safety was the way that you were there, you were the same and you had the same language and don’t say anything that might be out of, you know, in case you’re gonna offend anyone or whatever. Not that I mean, I would only really say anything, or offend anyone. But it’s since coming out of that.

Unknown Speaker 16:39
I know those first six months, I was still really in that safety zone. And then I had a conversation with Alley, who runs she mentors, actually. And she was like, we’re talking about my website was just getting built. And I just had the photos everybody knows of me with the hands like, that’s my image. I don’t always stand like that. guys just say, hang on, I’ll just like. But I was showing her that what I had planned. And then I showed her these new images. It’s like, that’s what you need to have on your website. I’m like, Ah, okay. Are you sure? She’s like, that’s you? Like, yeah, okay. She’s like, it’s fun. It shows that you’re, you know, you love what you do. And you’re, you’re out there, and you’re, you know, excited and all of that stuff. And that was kind of like the the turning point for me to start to think, oh, okay,

Unknown Speaker 17:38
I don’t have to be in that little box that I’ve always been in. And especially like, so I started actually talking like me. I naturally use fabulous a lot in my world, I just do. fabulous, fabulous. But I just love it. I just Oh, and it’s just, you can see I’m very animated. And I yeah, being able to step into that and have language that can support me with that understanding that is so key. And I know, it’s still a journey that I’m going through. And we’re going to be working on some of that soon, which I’m really excited about in a couple of weeks. So yeah, who knows, by the time this comes out, I may be speaking slightly differently. Again, just refining and refining.

Unknown Speaker 18:29
Really, I think important thing is giving people permission to just be themselves. And express that that’s the thing that’s most exciting because it there are a lot of people that I that I meet that are very like, well, I need to sound professional and I need to sound you know, prop. But no, you need to sound like you because people connect to you not to Mrs. Fancy language over there. You just need to speak like you speak or or at least capture the essence of that. And you put back the polished version of it, I suppose. And that’s that’s what that’s kind of what I’m for is i don’t i don’t i don’t really work well with with corporate things because it’s too proper for me. I need to be a bit more have a bit more creative license, I guess. And I hope that’s that’s what comes across when I work with people is that they are amazing. And as I said to small business owners are a bit like that as they have to have that creativity. So why not express it and shout it from the rooftops? Yeah, absolutely. Just give yourself that permission to be you.

Unknown Speaker 19:38
Definitely so much easier when you just being you remember, right. Yeah. You don’t have to Yeah, you don’t have to. I’m just going to follow the script. And today, we’re going to talk like this. That is what we’re saying. Now you just be you and you talk how you talk and type, how you type and all of that stuff. So

Unknown Speaker 19:58
yeah, would it be We’re all the same. Like I love cookies, but you know, even they’re all different shapes. By you like a smashed up box of cookies now be your perfect cookies maybe.

Unknown Speaker 20:17
Oh yeah, gingerbreads are our favorite at the moment in our house. We’d love gingerbread. Sophie is always asking let’s make gingerbread cookies.

Unknown Speaker 20:24
I’m like, we could do that. delete them all.

Unknown Speaker 20:29
All the ones with a smiley face on it. That’s the they’re his favorite.

Unknown Speaker 20:33
Yeah, yeah, my girls go for that. But mostly just to pick the Smarties off and a bad cookie.

Unknown Speaker 20:39
That’s Charlotte. That’s sevi. It’s the whole thing. Charlotte just picks the Saudis off. Yeah. It’s like a birth order thing. You know? Funny. I’m sorry. We’ve got something exciting coming up this year. And we can’t not talk about this the new kid on the retreat block, as I’m going to call it. The Fabulous get it down retreat. Now. It’s coming up in September. And you may have seen it all over the socials. Obviously, you’ve seen all this over the socials. Let’s talk about get it getting it done. Get it done.

Unknown Speaker 21:20
Let’s talk about it, please, can we the common theme, and it’s been coming up over and over and over again, everybody that I talked to like, I work with a lot of different types of business owners, but the common theme is, ah, I could do so much if only I had the time. And like, yes, I’m the same. I say it myself, you know, like, all I need is just like four days, give me four days. And I’ll do it all, I can get it all done. I mean, and so you know, it wasn’t a giant leap to the table from. But again, it does what it says on the tin, doesn’t it?

Unknown Speaker 22:02
So what I decided to do, eventually, it just kept coming up and coming up and coming up. And it’s a bit woowoo Nicole, but I’m kind of partial to science from the universe. And the more it came up, the more I just went, you know what? No, it’s something needs to be done about this. And we need to create a space for people to come and make the progress in their businesses that they’ve been desperate for, because their businesses are amazing. But they’re spending so much time just doing the due, that they can’t get to the next stage, whatever that might look like maybe they’re looking to get, I don’t know, a new website written and put together maybe they’re needing to launch a new product, there’s so many things that we’re all trying to do, and ways that we can make our businesses even better than they are. But no time to actually do them. Basically. That was the key problem. And I just saw it over and over again. I thought, yes, let’s fix that, you know, fixing it is the thing that the retreat is all about.

Unknown Speaker 23:09
So not only that, then I started to think about Okay, well, why not? Why aren’t we doing these things. And obviously, the standard stuff comes up of like, Well, we’ve got families to support and we’ve got businesses to run, and we’ve got, you know, social life to baby, maybe maybe we tend to occasionally and maybe go out for a walk every six months and call that our exercise. Easy life is busy. So what’s getting in the way. And the obstacles that I can see coming up over and over again, around time. It’s not just time, sometimes it’s, you know, lacking the confidence to really go to that next stage or being concerned slip saying that. I don’t know, if I get too successful, then I’m going to be too busy. Or if I get too successful, the next thing is going to happen.

Unknown Speaker 23:09
So mindset to be part of it too. And my very, very best friend Lou happens to be an expert when it comes to mindset. So I roped him into it. And that was wonderful. And my very, very good friend Nicole, who I happen to be speaking to currently is an expert in the time bit and how could I not include her in that because, you know, my experience of you over the years, like, over the last year as you said, like we’ve worked together we’ve done kind of skill exchange things. And just kind of knowing that what you do exist in the world has made me feel a lot less stressed in life and think witnessing what you can do with an hour is incredible. So how could I not have you as part of this as well, you know, like

Unknown Speaker 24:44
your glass a little bit here.

Unknown Speaker 24:51
And then my friend Nicola who is an absolute guru when it comes to the digital marketing. I’ve worked with her before and She’s so wise and knowledgeable. And she just like, click, click, click and Oh, hey, presto, you’re everywhere. You know, like she knows how to do your online presence, right?

Unknown Speaker 25:10
And again, how could I not have that as part of it, because we were talking about it before, you know, so much of our customers these days comes from your online presence. So we got to maximize it, you know, we got to optimize it all the ises we got to do there, we got to make it good. So that you, you get the customers to be able to pay for the thing that you want to do next, then do the next thing to maybe occasionally have a day off. Yeah. I don’t know. And, and then the last piece of the puzzle was something that you and I have have done ourselves and something that a lot of a lot of business owners, especially women are a little bit hesitant to do to get your wonderful headshots down.

Unknown Speaker 26:00
As much as your copy might be your first impression, your imagery is probably, let’s be honest, more. So people love images first. And if they’re kind of selfies from your phone, is that as professional as having somebody there who has decades of experience of taking photos, and taking the most wonderful imagery that I’ve actually like, joined, who I brought along is my very good friend, I helped her with her magazine, I write for her and have worked with her for a really long time. And she’s just done the new imagery from my website. And I tell you, night and day, what I look like she’s got like a magic wand instead of a camera. It’s incredible. So that’s kind of the broad strokes of who and why we’re doing it. And like bringing all those elements together to just relax, and, and enjoy fall back in love with our businesses, again, which can kind of get a bit out of control every now and then I think

Unknown Speaker 27:02
we have all these ideas. Yeah, please, things that we want to do. Yes, and they’re all important they are.

Unknown Speaker 27:12
But you know, as I sort of say, we’ve got to really decide which is a priority right now. And isn’t in alignment with this strategy that you’ve got for your business. And, you know, the other thing I do talk about, which is why when you brought this to me, I’m like, hell yeah, I’m there. Like, I’m not even connecting him remotely, I’m coming to a nicer because Hello, it’s a nicer, but also, I want to be there. Because it’s so important. And you can do and have all these ideas and create all the things that you know, are like the concepts and the staff. But if you don’t actually have the time to implement that stuff, make the dreams become reality, then it’s just a dream. And it’s still gonna just sit there and like poke at you go, Hey, I’m here. Don’t forget on here, don’t forget, don’t forget.

Unknown Speaker 28:07
Whereas having something like this, and especially something as important as a website, or a new launch or anything like that, that is such a big step towards you know, really making your business at that next level. I know, for me, my website was one of the first things that I wanted to get up and running, you know, and then getting the imagery, and it’s still evolving. But that was the main thing for me to get that done at the start. So having a space of the four days away with all of us, they’re the experts, and it’s we’ve got such a good group of people together, it’s going to be fabulous, I really see some really good outcomes coming from those four days.

Unknown Speaker 28:53
But the thing is, it’s not that we don’t have good intentions, all of us want to do all these things. We have all these great ideas, we’ve downloaded the courses, we’ve sought the advice, but execution is the problem and that that’s why I’m doing this basically, okay, and I’m a little fanatical about it, you’ll have to forgive me, but you know, how many courses do you have? Or maybe you don’t, because you’re amazing and wonderful, and you’re a finisher, but I have like at least six courses sitting in my inbox inbox unfinished, because it’s been a great idea. But I’ve never had the time to finish it. I’m kind of sick of it, you know, for myself and for other people is okay.

Unknown Speaker 29:36
So what’s different about this, compared to you know, there’s plenty of retreats out there. I’m not saying this is an original idea to have a retreat, but what it is, is that nobody’s talking at you. Everybody’s helping you to actually implement stuff. So by the time you leave, you not only actually achieved something that’s and you’re getting that little idea out of your brain to stop nagging you but then you also have the The pathway, the roadmap for where to go once you go as well, because what I want for anyone who comes is to be set up for success. For as long as they they maintain that, you know, you and all the other experts are so skilled, that why not share that, you know,

Unknown Speaker 30:18
yeah, and I think that’s important as well as that, with all those courses, like, That’s fabulous. But I know when I work with my clients, I want to impart that knowledge so that they themselves can take that on, and that becomes just second nature to them. So if it’s planning their day, or if it’s using a system, like my fabulous, click out, which I love, whatever it is, you know, that they now know that that’s their way. And every we know, we go back to the conversation about everyone’s unique and an individual, and they are and everyone is, and that’s okay, and embracing the way that you like to work. And that how you take on knowledge, and put that into play is yes, something that I really want to impart as well, from all of our beautiful people attending that they can walk away and have those skills to be able to maintain that, from my point of view, the time management stuff Far, far and in the future from this one event.

Unknown Speaker 31:22
And that’s the thing as well is that it’s so customized, like each person is at a different stage of their business working in different industry needs different stuff from you, for me from, you know, digital experts, whoever and and that’s, that’s really important is to embrace those differences and still be able to help them grow and shift. I guess that’s very exciting. So thank you for letting me talk about that. Because it’s on a better not

Unknown Speaker 31:50
know, I’m really excited about it. And we will put all the details in the show notes. So pop on over there, have a look at the link, come and join us because it’s gonna be super fun. Ah, sorry, good. Well, you know, business owners, we’ve discussed, have a lot of things going on. You know, there’s lots of things, there’s family life, there’s business life, there’s the personal stuff, which we always seem to push to the back of the back of the path there. We’ll just leave that there, which I always tell everyone, we need to put that first. But that’s an ongoing conversation within many. We’re getting there step by step. What are your go to methods when you really have things that you need to focus in on or knuckle down on or, you know, you know, that you need to put yourself first, like, what do you have anything that you kind of go to

Unknown Speaker 32:51
always reluctant to wade through these. Because I know what I shouldn’t be saying, and I know, you and I have worked together regularly over the last year, and I have your wisdom in my head. And so I do, I have implemented like your time locking systems so that, you know, when we met, I hadn’t been to the gym for years and years and years and years. Even though it was a really happy place for me, I just didn’t have the time. So I made the time, you know, so the parking has been great. And that’s kind of the one thing that okay, through my life in the chaos for about a month of trying to balance and re juggle things. But now that I do it all the time, that’s that’s a non negotiable now. So the time locking has definitely helped with that. And it’s in big red boxes on my calendar saying Do not touch this is basically, um, as for any other kind of personal time, I’m still very guilty of putting that fairly lost and fairly low down on the list. But it is something that I’m at least aware of now and trying very hard to work to change. Because as much as I love what I do and love it so much, and I want to do it all the time. But you know what, I’ve got a whole other life. You know, I’ve got children that want to be played with and, you know, husbands don’t want to go out to dinner occasionally what this stuff is important, you know, and it’s just trying to find the balance. So I got I would say it’s kind of a work in progress if I’m super truthful, but I know at least the path to get me where I need to go. Thanks to you, actually.

Unknown Speaker 34:32
Thank you. My pleasure. I’m so happy that that’s so lovely to hear as well that you’ve you know that I know when we first spoke the gym thing was a big thing for you and and that’s fabulous that you’ve put that into play and you must feel so good. Even just that one element having that you’ll use time and there is no perfect equation where we can get it right all the time. I’m under no illusion. that that’s the case because life happens. You know, and I think it’s as long as you’re aware, you’ve got that awareness. And when you really feel that balance is not happening, that you’re aware and you trigger Oh, hang on, I need to change something here. And you bring that back in, you know, you bring that back into balance. That’s the most important and all I can ask if anyone is just to have that awareness of it. Sorry. That’s awesome. Congratulations. That’s

Unknown Speaker 35:30
so good. A homework, Monaco homework, my homework, my lifetime work, in fact, love a bit of homework.

Unknown Speaker 35:39
Implementing Lizzie we’re going back to that implementation. You know, that’s it, and you’ve done it with the gym stuff. So take out stuff, you got to go or spot study at school. That’s a spot when they’re done. And then an ER doctor or something. And then when they get X amount of dots, they get like a little cheese thing from the tin thing. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 36:01
Or is that we call it incentivizing numbers. Mostly bribing for good behavior. Like I like it, though. Right? The chocolates in the tea. I like the chocolates. Oh, yeah. I have a chocolate. Oh, didn’t do any work. Have a glass of champagne in a row. Nice.

Unknown Speaker 36:26
I always talk about the rewards. You know, what have you done today? And what’s your award for especially listings that we don’t really locked in? Yeah, that’s the best way to get them done. pomodoro, which you know about, get on those pomodoro sprints, get those things done, and then have that reward at the end that you’re just you know, carrot on the horse, you know, dangling in front of you get there and get that reward. Same time, Simon, I love chatting with you. It’s always so fun.

Unknown Speaker 36:54
We should just make her own little show of like the Nicole and Lizzie chat chat chat show.

Unknown Speaker 37:02
Well,

Unknown Speaker 37:03
I can’t let you avoid the three questions. I asked all of my guests. Sorry. Are you ready?

Unknown Speaker 37:10
I’m bracing myself. No, I’m ready. I’m ready. I’m good. I’m good. I’ve been preparing for this for years.

Unknown Speaker 37:15
I mean, there’s no right and wrong answers. So yeah, you’re right. You’re right, whatever you say. So we’re winning there. Okay, what is your go to app that creates ease in your day?

Unknown Speaker 37:27
Huh? Well, I’d be I’d be it’d be remiss of me not to say clickup, wouldn’t it? But no, really, really, really. In fact, I like the desktop version of clickup runs my life, the mobile version? I firmly nor a lot of the time I find it quite difficult. So I need to book in another session with you to make that. But yeah, how can we not say cricket? Because it’s just

Unknown Speaker 37:52
really great. I obviously love it. So But hey, on the mobile version, are you on the rainbow colored wine? Or if you got the white one?

Unknown Speaker 38:01
No idea. It’s I think it’s right Bobby, is it supposed to be white is a new one.

Unknown Speaker 38:09
So the new

Unknown Speaker 38:10
one is much cleaner, much nicer to use and visualize, but it doesn’t quite have all of the the things activated yet. So for instance, if you use dashboards and things for people listening, you don’t have that important. But yeah, download the while. We’ll have a chat though.

Unknown Speaker 38:26
Yeah, that’s a corporate speak. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Okay. Next question. Are you an online or a paper to do lists lover? And this is the question that I was hoping to avoid. As much as my intentions are great. my to do list is still quite often in my head. And then and then my, my actual to do lists are kind of split between paper and online. So I can I can I take option A, B and C for

Unknown Speaker 39:02
fun? As I said, there is no right or wrong answer. You know, I might as I say, I’m probably every episode, I’m a bit of a hybrid. I like both. I think there’s purposes for everything. And you’ve got to just find what works for you.

Unknown Speaker 39:16
So when it’s like urgent, I need to get the thought out of my hand and I need to write it down, then I’ll go straight to paper, but kind of process and think, what am I planning this week? Then it goes into the to the digital version? I’d say.

Unknown Speaker 39:30
Yeah, and if that works for you, that’s fine. You know, no, right or wrong. You can’t You can’t go against the grain. So

Unknown Speaker 39:39
okay, the final question. What would you do if you created more space in your worlds?

Unknown Speaker 39:45
Oh, I would do a bit of nothing first, I promise. Perfect, because, you know, like, I work a lot. I work a lot and I’d like to work less but I don’t know if that’s a satisfactory answer or not. But I think just generally cut down my hours like, you know, you know, I’ve been starting pretty early and going to bed pretty early and doing it all again every day. And so I’d I do less. I think if I created more space, honestly, perfect.