We all have our own life’s stories to tell….and it’s these stories that form our daily beliefs that we live by.
But, it is how we manage or perceive those beliefs….that defines how we move forward in life!

My husband died when I was 39 when our children were 11 & 9 years of age. This hit me for six as back then there wasn’t the government and professional support available like there is today.

My husband was my soul mate and added to this, I lacked in confidence and self-worth big time.

For many year’s my children and I struggled with our loss in our own individual ways. We knew no different than to exist…and to focus on our hardships. Looking back, I learnt a lot about how childhood perceptions can be perceived, and how they shape our adult lives.

This awareness is constantly with me as I help and support others on their own personal journey.

Reality time: one wage and mounting bills.
The outcome: I needed to move on from fulltime employment and bring more income into the household, but HOW….and WHERE to start?

So…..I bought into a Bread Making Franchise. My thoughts were that the Franchisor had a tried and tested business model that I could build upon for my own future, and in supporting my children.

From day one that business struggled financially, so my Franchisor advised me to ‘get an overdraft’ which I did, (more bad debt in this case) and somehow I managed to keep the bank off my back….for a short while – till my small money reserves dwindled out.

The flip side to my ongoing cashflow concerns were……I’d built up a strong clientele. I held ‘yeast’ based cooking classes for 30 to 40 excited attendees five times a week. My retail shop supplied all of the hardware and ingredients required to replicate my demonstrations…..and the flow on sales then occurred within the shop.

I loved that business – it’s growth, my teaching, and of course the connection with each of my customers…. but there was a problem…..I was working long hours with no money to call my own!

The other four Franchisees were also suffering financially, so we banded together to seek help. The ACCC took us on as a ‘group action’ test case against a Franchisor. We won with an ‘unconscionable behaviour’ outcome, but a bitter sweet victory. All assets had been moved out of the parent company at that point….leaving nothing in it to sue for monies lost!

A huge learning experience was gained from that long-drawn out litigation battle, and the after-flow certainly shook my wellbeing on all fronts – mentally, physically and emotionally. Added to this, I was faced with huge debts from the loss of that business…..and that ongoing problem needed to be addressed.

It was during this time that I was approached by an old friend to open a coffee shop in his plant nursery. Over time that vision evolved….and the business was created as I organized healthy eating menu’s – hired staff – and yes, having good time management skills were the order of that seven day a week business.

My work front was full on, and with it came the awareness that I was trading my time for money in this business. There are always set up costs and on-going establishing fees with any new business, but as time moved on….my money concerns were certainly not being met. It was time to go back to the drawing board for a re-think, and look at how I could do things differently.

At that point financially, I was between a rock and a hard place!!!!!!

It’s the year 2000 and a fresh start was needed. So, with a lot of courage and determination my move from Melbourne to Sydney evolved!

2002 – I was given a ‘free’ ticket to an introductory personal development event. For most of my adult life I’ve experienced poor hearing, and as the event got closer I questioned what I’d gain from attending….there was always frustration around hearing presenters in large group situations…..and would this event just be another one to add to the list?

That event turned my life around. For some strange reason, I heard much of the presentation….so my decision to sign up for an intensive personal development course was a no-brainer. If I could hear I was meant to be there. If I turned up, the money would turn up, and bit by bit it did in readiness to start.

This was the beginning of a very new way of thinking.

If I was going to move forward from the hardships of old….then I had to be open to change. I had to move out of my ‘own way’ and ‘comfort zone’ if I was to grow mentally, physically and emotionally.

At that point, I was facing difficulties on two fronts:

1. Finding the funds to pay for the course – and
2. Facing my long-standing hardships head on.

I took the view that my painful past was history, and my future was a beautiful mystery to be explored and yes, there was a lot of ‘fear’ around what was required to move on.

Shortly after the initial five-day personal development workshop began, I signed up for a two-year property course being run by the same mentor. Again, the money to pay for that course turned up but not without many a sleepless night – and a lot of creative thinking.

No stone was left unturned on that property course. I became a sponge to anything that was remotely linked to property and investing. Initially, I was naïve in property knowhow, but my ‘why’ around succeeding was far bigger than my fear of failure or lack of confidence in my own ability.

I had no money to invest with, but if property was to be my vehicle to move forward on….then my asset had to be my ‘time’ within a team environment.

So, ‘time’ became my best friend.

2003 – Three guys from the property course asked me to join their J/V team. My ‘time’ contribution to the group was an asset as some of the team had money to invest, but demanding work commitments monopolized their time. My priority of making ‘time’ my number one focus was something I had to work on, but I’d found a growing passion around property and the rest just flowed.

I loved those years with ‘the boys’ as I called them. My job was to find sites that fitted our buy-renovate-subdivide and sell strategy at the lower end of the market. We chose the Hunter Valley to invest in, and part of my role was to become an ‘area expert’ in our area of focus. I built relationships with trades, agents, surveyors etc., and our weekends were spent renovating each newly purchased house, often in the deposit – settlement period if we could gain access to do so.

Each project bought happy times for us all, and the plus being that each member of the group had different ‘strengths’ that complimented each other, together with our given strategy.

Yes, I learnt so much over those years in property, but also on structing a winning Joint Venture team, and partnership.

I maintained a regular connection with my original Personal Development and Property mentor, and as word spread of ‘the boys’ and my achievements in property, I was regularly invited back to speak to new attendees who sat in the same seats I had, a couple of years prior.

Back when I started the course….the thought of presenting was just a dream…..and here I was doing it!

I had to face my fear of ‘public speaking – to stop listening to the excuses that stood in my way and just do it!!!! I came to realize that my fears wouldn’t kill me….they just gave me a hard time if I allowed them to do so.

Presenting on stage came with a slowly growing confidence. Taking baby steps just one at a time was the way to go…..because all eyes were on me ‘so get over it Jill.’

These days, I so enjoy presenting and can’t get enough of it…..such a turn-around from old.

2005– One of ‘the boys’ and I signed up for an ‘Our Internet Secret’s online membership course. Our topic was on our property experiences to date, and what was my ‘discomfort zone’ in writing….was slowly replaced with an ever-growing confidence within, producing 12 months of eClasses and one I grew to enjoy.

2007 – Unofficially, I’d been supporting and coaching people on many levels since prior to my franchise days. It was now time to make my ‘coaching’ title official. So, I joined Beyond Success for an intensive life coaching course.

Enjoying a mindset that experiences a level playing field to work and play within is a continuing ‘work in progress’ for the majority of us. The benefits gained from adopting a new way of thinking, and all that is required to follow through……far out-weighs the thought of standing still and continuing in the space that bought us to the point of need, or wanting changes in our life and outlook.

Deciding to train as a coach was the start of another direction for me, and yes, one I’m still on today and every day forward…with a big smile on my face!

Life Coaching:

http://www.beyondsuccess.com.au/coaching/our-coaches/

To earn the title of ‘Life Coach’ is one thing, but to build a business on it was another that required a clear vision of what my long-term future looked like. I challenged myself daily on where I could get my ‘foot into the door’ of opportunity. I set myself the task of not being allowed to rest my head at night unless I’d sought another avenue that could convert to a client for me that day.

My Life Coaching business grew slowly, and yes it certainly required a strong belief in myself, and in being able to assist and support others on their journey forward – regardless of the knockbacks at times…..my persistence paid off and Yippee!

2010 – From my many years in different businesses, I’d learnt lots around what not to do, and certainly on how things could have had a different outcome, given a different strategy to work with.

These days, I’m mindful of the value in looking back and gauging the different things I’m working on, (my starting point….to where I am today.) If the results aren’t as they should be, I examine my input and experiences as a way of ‘kick-starting’ my motivation and results. I no longer look at my experiences as ‘failures’ but as ‘growth spurts!’

I have gained enormous insight from the worth of Personality Profiling (a tool used in my coaching.) It enables me to choose what sort of person I want to work and grow with when building a team, or putting a joint venture partnership together. It also shows our strengths and weakness, and at times this has been a ‘telling’ tale for me to look at myself and to adopt a new way of thinking that creates a different outcome for me.

Another plus that supported my growth was in reading Michael Gerber’s ‘The eMyth’ book. (More about this on my ‘Business Coaching’ page.) It made perfect sense to me as he explored the three specific roles in business: 1. The Technician 2. The Manager and 3. The Entrepreneur.

I regularly checking in on where I stand on Gerber’s role structuring. It is very easy to slip back into a lesser role when completing a task, instead of delegating and being mindful of my bigger picture.

I then enrolled in a 12 months Business Coaching course with Beyond Business Success as again I wanted to make my coaching on that level ‘official.’

Business Coaching:

http://www.beyondbusinesssuccess.com.au/our-coaches/

2014 – Time for another growth spurt. I enrolled in Steven Essa’s Internet Coaching School course. Steven’s expertise lay in creating webinars that reach a wider audience through the enjoyment and comfort of their own home. It was time to explore that avenue of growth and implement its worth.

Life for me these days is a long way from my life of old. I feel as if I’ve lived a couple of lifetimes within this life, and walked a mile in the shoes of many. I’m loving life as I’ve never known it before, and am looking forward to my next 30 years as I sit back and explore new areas of growth to enjoy.

Both of my children are married and I’m blessed with three beautiful grandchildren that bring me an enormous bundle of joy, balance and unconditional love.