"Growth Mindset" has almost become a buzz word in the self-help world, however it's important that we don't downplay it or take it for granted. When you truly start to peel back the layers and gain awareness of what a growth mindset is, it can be a monumental game changer in your life and business. Human behaviour is a fascinating area to study, and when we look at motivation we start to see specific traits appear in those who maintain sustainable motivation.

Carol Dweck authored an epic book on the topic called, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.  As she describes it: “My work bridges developmental psychology, social psychology, and personality psychology, and examines the self-conceptions (or mindsets) people use to structure the self and guide their behavior. My research looks at the origins of these mindsets, their role in motivation and self-regulation, and their impact on achievement and interpersonal processes.”

Go buy the book. But if you want to cut to the chase then here's some key insights that will produce some noticeable results in your life or business.

A growth-minded individual has a desire to learn and therefore a tendency to:

1. Embrace challenges
2. Persist in the face of setbacks 
3. See effort as the path to mastery
4. Learn from criticism
5. Find lessons and inspiration in the success of others

And as a result they experience even higher levels of achievement and all of this gives them a greater sense of free will. Are you growth minded? Actually, a better question is: What can you do to enhance your growth mindset?

On this weeks Life On Purpose podcast, I interviewed Lisa Mead who is an inspirational female leader and is the epitome of growth mindedness. She turned her greatest pain into her purpose and has went on to create Social Currency, a highly successful business that donates 10% of it's revenue (not just profits) to charities that help kids at-risk. 

 Be sure to head over and support her Kickstarter campaign for her second book she's writing. Lisa has traversed abuse and shares her amazing story to help others. "I want this book to give hope to those who may be in a situation they feel trapped in. I want this book to be a light in the darkness. The light I so badly needed. I want this book to show every single reader that miracles are real. I want them to see my journey and understand that no matter what has happened in their life, they are beyond valuable and that choosing to keep going despite challenges is a powerful choice."

Not to be missed...

Receive weekly tips from James on how to Live Your Life on Purpose. James interviews some of the leading performers in business, sport and life. Learn from the worlds greatest, each and every week for FREE. Click here to sign up!

Full Transcript

The following is the full transcript of this weeks episode of the Life On Purpose Podcast with James Laughlin. For weekly motivation please subscribe to the Apple Podcast, Spotify or YouTube Channel.

SPEAKERS 

James Laughlin, Life Coach and Leadership Coach, Christchurch, New Zealand

Lisa Mead, Author and CEO of Social Currency, Christchurch, New Zealand

 

James Laughlin 00:00 

Welcome to Life on Purpose. My name is James Laughlin, former seven-time world champion musician and now a success coach to leaders and high performers. Each week, I bring you an inspiring leader or expert to help you live your life on purpose. Thanks for taking the time to connect today and investing in yourself. Enjoy the show!   I'm incredibly excited to welcome in this week's guest, Lisa Mead. Lisa is the founder of social currency and a published author. In this episode, we talk about the importance of mentorship for at risk kids, and also high adopting a growth mindset can transform your life forever. I hope you enjoyed the show. And if you can please take two minutes not even probably 10 seconds to leave me a quick rating and review. That really helps me to impact more people enjoy the show. Lisa, a massive welcome to the life on purpose podcast.  

 

Lisa Mead 01:17 

Oh, thank you.  

 

WHAT IS YOUR STORY? 

James Laughlin 01:19 

Great to finally connect with you. So, I wanted to ask just to kickstart what we're about to chat about, you know that I firmly believe that every person has a story. And usually when people are hugely successful, like you are living life on purpose, like you, usually there's a struggle or there's a moment where things change. So, I'd love to chat a bit about your story. So, what is your story? And what were those struggles that have led you to the amazing place you're at today? 

 

Lisa Mead 01:44 

Yeah, I guess my biggest struggle was becoming a parent. So, I became also a single mom, when my son was 10 weeks old. And so had to start from scratch really, at that point, I worked full time. For KPMG, which is a big four accounting firm. I worked for them for seven years, and studied part time as well, to get my degree and then studied a little bit further after that to get CA which is chartered accounting. But yeah, my biggest struggle was when my son was about seven. So, in the 2017, I had a conversation with him the day after Christmas. So, on Christmas Day, he got to see his father and his father's been absent for most of his life, I could probably count on my hands the number of times he's seen him in the past, kind of four or five years. But he got to stay on this Christmas Day and hang out with him in the morning for a bit. But the next day, he said to me, Mom, I don't think that my dad really cares about me. And I just, you know, you get like that heartbreak moment of, Oh, I don't know how to fix this, because I can't fix it. It's something that his dad needs to fix. And it's just that time and connection stuff is just not there. So yeah, I got him in front of something called a growth mindset programme online week course. And he went through it for half an hour and got to the end of it. And he said, um, you know, I don't think I need, I don't have to be like my dad when I'm older. And, you know, up until then I didn't realise that he had taken it on himself to think, you know, this is my life, I have to be like my dad, I'm going to make the same mistakes as him. And yeah, it was just like this lightbulb moment for me where I thought, you know, what if I could help other kids to see that they are not defined by the situation and the circumstances and the stigmas and stereotypes and all of that sort of thing? What What would my life look like if I could help other kids see that and have that lightbulb moment? So yeah, I read a book called the growth mindset by Professor Carol Dweck. And basically, it changed my life within about six months. So August 2018, I quit my job at an accounting firm, and I'd been an accounting firms for, you know, 10 odd years and it was corporate life and everything it you know, sticks up today, and you work really hard to get into these positions. And I'd been told that I would be the next partner at this accounting firm, and I hadn't been asked if I'd want to do be in a partner position, which I think you know, they probably should have asked me that before they had that conversation. So yeah, I just realised at that point, I need to do something different. I don't want to do the nine to five I don't want to still, you know it was just like, what is my life going to look like for the next 10 years. If I stay here, I'm going to get up I'm going to go to work. I'm not going to see my son until 6 - 6:30 because he's in you know, before school or after school daycare and things. He's always on these holiday programmes hardly ever see him, I needed to spend more time with him, he needed more of me at that point. And, you know, that was my breaking point, I thought I need to do something different. And, you know, nothing changes if nothing changes. So, I decided that sets up for me, I'm willing to quit my job without a secure income without, you know, a bunch of clients to, you know, go into business with I decided that if I cared about this thing enough, then maybe other people will dip your toe. So started my business and on the first of September 2018, and nearly three years in, and 

 

James Laughlin 05:46 

Incredible. That's amazing. I just, all I hear right now is courage. Like, you have the courage as a single parent to be like, hey, I've got a great income in the corporate world. Yeah. And now I'm gonna step away from that, because the most important thing for me is my child, and the time they spend with me, like, I admire you hats off to you. 

 

Lisa Mead 06:06 

Yeah, I just got to the point where I was like, you know what I'm going to be okay. If I have to eat noodles, I'm going to do this. And I've never eaten noodles. 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE ACTION? 

James Laughlin 06:16 

I love it. Well, you're so fired up. And you read Carol Dweck amazing book, growth mindset, which is phenomenal. And obviously, you're thinking to the future, you're not thinking of today or tomorrow, you're thinking, okay, what's it look like in five years? 10 years? 20 years? It is my legacy. So when you read the book, what was your greatest takeaway that like, inspired you to take action? 

 

Lisa Mead 06:37 

I guess, just the real difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. And, you know, identifying traits within myself of that fixed kind of level and wanting to move them towards that growth mindset of thinking, you know, it is this way now. But it can be different in six months, 12 months time, and, you know, my skills look like this right now. But, but they can look different in 6-12 months time to, if I just actually try. It's just literally practice, practice, practice, anybody can do anything, if they just try and practice enough. So, you know, I'm highly skilled at what I do. Yes. But, you know, I'd never fully run a business before. Obviously helped a lot of people with their own businesses. But for me, it was like, am I prepared to try something completely new? And what is it going to take to do that, and just basically started with an open mind and working out how to do things differently and do things that I'd never done before, like, start a website, create a website from scratch, go on YouTube, and find out what I needed to know and learn it. You know, there's, there's so many resources out there now, that it's, you can basically do anything, there's no limits, there is there is no ceiling. You know, I don't operate with a ceiling above me. You know, it's, it's like, why not? 

 

James Laughlin 08:07 

That's amazing, that mindset of like, Hey, here's my really bold vision. I'm going to run after it. But then underneath that you've got this burning desire to succeed.  

 

Lisa Mead 08:16 

Yep. Yep.  

 

James Laughlin 08:17 

Your son is so fortunate to have you as his mentor. It's so amazing. 

 

Lisa Mead 08:21 

Yeah, it's, his, I mean, to have him as the driving force. That's, I guess that's the special part of it. And I think if I didn't have him, maybe I would have just been comfortable setting in that corporate job, you know, I didn't have that, that purpose driving me to say, you know, once you see something, you can't unsee it. And that's, that's what I saw, I saw one kid with one issue and assumed there's got to be 1000s of kids out there that also need support and need a mentor or a positive role model. And that's why I started my business. That is the core purpose of my business to support at risk kids, so to change intergenerational statistics around crime, poverty, and low educational attainment, and Kiwi kids and by providing them mentors and positive role models, we can do that and we can break those stigmas and statistics and change, you know, the world for even if it's one kid, that's what I'm there for. 

 

 And, you know, other people don't believe in a toe because I've got over 400 clients now and it's only been, you know, short couple of years, most accounting firms spend a long time building out their client base and mine has not had to do that because it's word of mouth and people that actually care that's what it comes down to. You know, it's knowing that and using me as their accountant 10 cents goes to supporting at risk kids for every dollar so you know, 10% of revenue and it's that I decided to go from revenue rather than profit because as an accountant, I can fudge the profit figure really easily. So, yeah, that that was another scary part of it going, I'm going to give away 10% of that top line, straight off the bat and see how it goes. 

 

James Laughlin 10:12 

 That's just massive courage again, right? 

 

Lisa Mead 10:15 

Yeah, I don't pay for advertising and marketing, it speaks for itself. People tell my story for me. And that's the really cool part, getting to see them get excited about it, being a part of it. And also changing their business model as well. So I've seen so many of my clients come to me and say, I love what you're doing, I want to do something like that in my business, whether it's like, you know, pro bono hours for, you know, for whoever or donating a percentage of their sales or percentage of a product or, you know, there's, there's so many ways of doing it, but just seeing people think, outside of the box, and not just about profit, you know, purpose and profit can work together. And my business is an example of that. So, I'd love to see that ripple effect really go out. 

 

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO CONNECT WITH SOCIAL CURRENCY? 

James Laughlin 11:06 

And for Kiwis that are listening to this. And I know it's a global audience, but for Kiwis that want to get in touch with you, what's the best way for them to connect with social currency? 

 

Lisa Mead 11:14 

Yeah, probably just my website, social currency. co.nz does the best. Just to see a little bit of the story and to connect with me on there. That's the easiest way. 

 

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OUTCOMES YOU’RE ABLE TO PROVIDE? 

James Laughlin 11:24 

I love it. And tell me just about social currency a bit more. So who are some of the people that you work with? And what are some of the outcomes that you're able to provide? Because of that 10% that you give. 

 

Lisa Mead 11:34 

Yeah. So, I mean, the type of clients that I work for a start, we've got not for profits, charities, social impact businesses, or social enterprises, a lot of small to medium businesses as well. So that's kind of the client base that I work with. And then the four partner charities that we work with Graham Dingell Foundation, Youth Alive Trust, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and Champion Children's Centre. So, these are all organisations that are really established. They've got research backing behind what they do. And yeah, they work with the most at-risk youth in our country. So, there's some pretty big names.  

 

James Laughlin 12:12 

That's phenomenal.  

 

Lisa Mead 12:14 

Yeah. And that's, that was my goal to get those four charities as partners, and to split that 10% across them every quarter. And it's really cool to be involved and then to, you know, go along to the school sessions and grand angle foundation. So, they have a programme called Kiwi kin, and they work with the little kids around resilience and grit and all that cool stuff. So yeah, it's not just about donating to them. It's around saying, you know where that money goes, and how it really impacts those kids. 

 

James Laughlin 12:50 

That's phenomenal. So, you can really see the impact for yourself. It's interesting, because I interviewed a guy called Evan Carmichael maybe two or three months ago. And he's his whole thing is around self-belief. And I was asking him, like, where does where does a person find their purpose? And he said, the way you find your purpose is to look at your pain, and whatever pain you've been through whatever you look at, that can really bring you to tears, it really moves you. Well, that is your purpose. So would you say that? You know, your own situation as Dakotas mom, that led you to find your purpose through pain? 

 

Lisa Mead 13:24 

Oh, 100%. Yep, I wouldn't have had it without it. And I definitely think, you know, you can kind of go along for many, many years and never really feel like you have something that you want to get up in the morning and work really hard for. And I used to think, you know, those people that talked about having a purpose and finding their purpose, and you know, all of these things, I thought it didn't exist, I thought that they were just you know, hubby's flying around doing cool stuff. And just, you know, they maybe they had too much time on their hands or something. But it literally happened when I had my lightbulb moment. That was that was that for me. And I felt it really started to grow. And I think when you when you have that fire within you, and you can just, you know, feed it with some coals and get it really burning hot, that's when you really have some purpose going on. And you can choose to use it or not. I chose to use it and I chose to, you know, take some really big risks. But you know, risk reward has worked in my favour. So, I get to spend more time with my son, I get to pick them up from school, which I never could before. All of the little things and a lot of the big things too, so I get to stand in front of, you know, hundreds of people sometimes and talk about why mentors are important and, you know, share that that part of the story, which is amazing. 

 

James Laughlin 14:57 

Let's chat about that. So, let's chat about mentors. And how pivotal they are in a young person's life. 

 

Lisa Mead 15:02 

Yeah. So, I mean, I can, I can speak from, I guess experience where my son has a mentor who's had him for, I think just about two years now. And the role of a mentor is really just to be somebody that someone can connect to. And that happens through time, just literally spending time with someone an hour a week can literally change a child's life. And I know this, because I watched my son change from the day that he had his first mentoring session, I recognise the difference, in about two weeks, and I just thought, this kid has changed, there's something different here. And that's what it was, it was that self-belief. And it was that confidence. And what it does is, it means that that person cares enough about that young person to spend time with them. That's all it is, it's not about spending money and doing cool stuff. Like most of the time, my son does, you know, might play some tennis or something with his mentor, or might sit down most of the time and just play video games and just sit there and, you know, be present. And I think that grounding piece is really important. So just having that ability to connect with someone else, and to feel, you know, feel wanted or important or feel loved. That is really, that's as good as it gets. I think when it comes to that mentoring relationship, feeling like somebody actually wants to be in your presence and spend time with you. When a young person feels that, that's when their confidence starts to grow. And I think that's when that resilience, stuff can come out. All of the good traits can come out from that point, because that's the foundation, it's knowing that you are worthy of being loved, worthy of, you know, somebody taking an interest in you. And what you've got to say, even if they don't talk a lot as well, it's literally just a connection. 

 

James Laughlin 17:06 

I love that I really do. And it's so interesting when you look at so for those who are not Kiwis and listening to this in New Zealand has incredibly high teenage suicide rates, one of the highest in the OECD, we've got one of the highest domestic violence rates and child mortality rates. And when we look at all of those, the depression and anxiety, a lot of what brings that on can be that you feel like as a person, you don't matter, you don't matter. But when you know that you matter, and someone values you for you, that can be transformational. So, to be a mentor, you're providing that avenue to let the person know, you matter. And I want to be with you. So how does someone become an entirely do they come in all shapes and sizes? 

 

Lisa Mead 17:45 

Yeah, all ages it's not age specific. Usually what they will do would appear an older male with a younger male or an older female with a younger female, that's kind of what they do. Just a quick questionnaire to find out what type of person you are, what your values are, and to try and match and mentor relationship based on those key attributes. So, if you're good at cooking, and the young person likes to cook, then that's, that's an ideal mix, you know. So, it's really simple stuff. A lot of mentoring organisations have an online questionnaire that you can fill in, it's usually not too painful, it can take, you know, half an hour to an hour to fill out. And the same goes with, if you've got a young person and you want to find a mentor for them. Usually that's the same process. So, when I felt mine out, for my son, I filled out what type of things he enjoys doing and what sort of person he is, you know, a lot of energy likes to kick the ball around, you know, that sort of stuff. So same sort of thing on both sides. And it can be a little bit of a process to find a good match, because they don't want to create, you know, a really good match and not just a match. And to find the right person for a young person as Yeah, that's key. 

 

James Laughlin 19:04 

Well, that's funny, because it's not something you're turning up for five minutes, and then two weeks later decide it's not for me, this is a commitment for life. 

 

Lisa Mead 19:11 

Yeah, that's right. So usually, a good mentoring relationship they aim to have in place for 12 months. And that's just to really build that solid foundation. And it can change after 12 months, you know, people move or, you know, kids get a little bit older, and sometimes somebody in a different stage of life might be better for that young person at that point in time. So, things like that change, but yeah, it's a 12 month commitment for a mentor to be looking after that child and to really, I guess just yeah, be there for that person, just an hour a week. That's all it takes. And it's not complicated at all 

 

James Laughlin 19:50 

Let's chat about, there's so many benefits for the child. But let’s just chat about the mentor what's in it them? 

 

Lisa Mead 19:56 

Yeah, oh, well, we there's actually research that shows that the benefits to the mentor are far exceed the benefits to the mentee. And that's that thing that comes down to a lot of, you know, really confidence in themselves and that they're really positively impacting a young person. So, it's a real meaningful connection for them, they get to do something that's giving back to the community, they get to feel like they're changing someone's life, because they are. So, it's, it's not just a turning up to a volunteer organisation, and, you know, planting some plants or painting a fence or something like that, they're literally being able to shape someone's future by, you know, changing the trajectory that they might have been on.  

 

James Laughlin 20:52 

That's amazing. I've got a client in Christchurch, who's been doing this, he's been a mentor for a few years. I get so much out of it. And I've also got another client here in New Zealand, who, you know, as a leader does very well, financially retired many years ago, but still a pretty young man. And he brought it up in one of his sessions and said, I really want to be like a big brother. So, for the people like that, that want to do that, what is an organisation that you would recommend they contact? 

 

Lisa Mead 21:20 

Yeah, so it's all over the country, Big Brothers, Big Sisters as a as a good organisation to contact in Christchurch. There's also Youth Alive Trust. So, they are one of our partner charities as well. There's a bunch of other charities that do mentoring and have mentoring opportunities. I think their biggest advice I can give is, if one organisation sees that they don't have any spots at the moment, try another one. Because I know of organisations that have waiting lists for, you know, over 100 Kids waiting to have a mentor. So, there's definitely a huge need out there. And I think, yeah, if we can have more mentors signing up, that would be amazing. 

 

WHO DID YOU LOOK UP TO? 

James Laughlin 22:04 

Good. Well, I think I need to get that out myself. Yeah, it'll be amazing experience. So I'll definitely drop them a line. Yeah, that would be cool. I love that. And tell me about you. So you're very passionate, you're very successful. You're very driven. Who was your mentor? Who did you look up to as a young girl that really fired you up? 

 

Lisa Mead 22:22 

Well, I read I read a few books, actually, and was quite inspired by Helen Keller. So, she was she was blind. And yeah, did some amazing stuff. And I thought, you know, if someone can have something like that, hold them back. And still do, you know, so many amazing things. What's, what could I do? You know, so, Mother Teresa, as well. Even if it sounds cliche, you know, she was just an amazing person. And did, you know, selfless things to help others? So, I always looked up to people like that, who were doing things that you know, didn't didn't have a return factor. So, yeah, I mean, even now, I guess, Martin Luther King Jr. as a massive inspiration for me, just being a change maker, going out there and doing things I spent the last year reading his book that somebody else had written of his life, and, you know, Old English, it was really hard to get through. And I usually read books quite quickly. So that was a real, yeah, that was a real slog, but I'm just reading, you know, about people who have done things who, you know, that were difficult, but they did them anyway. And, you know, through just some really significant disadvantages, really, and I think that's, that's a big thing, you know, and this day, we've got some privilege, and we should be, you know, using it and doing some good stuff with it. And, you know, that's, that's what it got to me to that point of going, you know, I'm in the position to do something, and I'm going to do that. 

 

James Laughlin 24:13 

That's amazing. If everyone that was in a position to do that, had that approach. Imagine the global impact that we could make. 

 

Lisa Mead 24:20 

Yeah, I mean, there's some people out there that probably have huge, huge privilege, you know, financial or otherwise, even if it's just time, time is as massive when you're, you know, when you think about value and what you can offer, skills, experience, you know, all of that sort of stuff is amazing. 

 

James Laughlin 24:41 

100% and you talk about time, so make your days count, right, and that's all about time, right? Make every day count. So, you are courageous in so many areas. So, a lot of people talk about, hey, I've got a book in me and I'm going to write a book and one day I'll write it and they never really get round to it. Well, you've published your book. So, make your days count right? So, tell us more about that. 

 

Lisa Mead 25:01 

Yes. So, I basically kept a lot of notes. And my first year in business, because I was such a roller coaster, and, you know, keeping a couple of notes every night, in a way diary was kind of my, I guess, my way of keeping on track and, you know, keeping track of all the positive things, and all of the challenges, all of the things that I was kind of going through at the time, and yeah, writing that book was my way of, I guess, giving back to other people who might want to go out and start a business on their own. And, you know, maybe they haven't done anything like that before. Maybe they're taking a risk. I think there's, there's the big thing, my business journey has been a risk from the get-go. But yeah, just to inspire people that, you know, might think that I didn't go through challenges to get to this point. But that first year was, yeah, a real roller coaster. And I wanted people to see that, you know, there are ups and downs, and it's worth it. 

 

James Laughlin 26:03 

What was the during the big roller coaster in the first year? What was your greatest like, challenge that popped up that you can remember vividly? 

 

Lisa Mead 26:11 

Yeah. I think more than anything, it was that uncertainty around. Yeah, I guess money in the bank was, that was the big thing. It was that absolute fear of waking up and going, oh, my gosh, I've got a, you know, I need clients, I need to build this business. And I'm just going to trust that it's going to happen. And you know, overcoming that fear. So, the fear factor was massive for me. And that first year, and I think using the fear to really drive me and to, you know, get up in the morning and work hard towards achieving those goals. And I think the amount of energy you put in, overcomes that fear. If you know, if you want to overcome it, you will you'll find a way. 

 

James Laughlin 27:00 

I love that, and the fear itself. So, like, I always say that acronym, no false evidence that appears to be real, because we put it in our heads. It's a real thing. But actually, it's not. So how did you overcome that fear? Almost like financial scarcity, mindset, financial abundance? How did you execute that? 

 

Lisa Mead 27:18 

Yeah, I guess, um, I stuck to a really clear plan and was consistent. It was, you know, turn up to the meetings, go to the places that I'm going to find, you know, connections, worked in a co working space, which really helped. Yeah, really spread my connections across Christchurch and that small to medium startup, kind of, yeah, area. I think for me, it's been a little bit easier because being a chartered accountant, you already know what the numbers should look like, what you need to do to kind of, you know, meet some targets. And so, I was really specific and writing down, this is what I need to make this day, this is what I need to make this week. So, I kind of, yeah, got it into this is my monthly target. This is my weekly target. This is my daily target. And, you know, for a month or two, I tracked against that really, you know, really carefully and thought, you know, I'm doing good this week, because I've just actually made three weeks’ worth and I don't have to, you know, stress about it. So that was where my fear levels could reduce quite quickly, just from just from keeping track of things and knowing gut feel. I'm picking up, you know, three to five clients a week. It was almost one a day was kind of the tracking for a long time. And yeah, just seeing, seeing results, seeing them. Yeah, be consistent and keeping track of the number of clients that I was picking up the number of referrals, the number of connections, the events, and all sorts of stuff like that really kept me going. Because what it did is it built momentum. And I think my momentum is a really good driver, away from that scarcity mindset and towards that abundance mindset. Just propels you. 

 

James Laughlin 29:15 

I love that. 

 

Lisa Mead 29:16 

fight against it. Basically, when you get that positivity vibe going. Why go back. 

 

James Laughlin 29:22 

It's contagious, right? And you're right, it becomes, as you say, the momentum you can't actually put the brakes on.  

 

Lisa Mead 29:29 

Yeah, exactly.  

 

James Laughlin 29:31 

And you also, a couple of things you mentioned Lisa, I want to highlight there. One was specificity. So, when you look at any great performer or actor or activist or business owner, they're very specific around what they're working towards. You talked about being hyper specific. Next thing that they do is they create great systems. And I love looking at say a five-year plan, then go down to your one year and then reverse engineer it two months, two weeks, two days, and yeah, it sounds like you've got that done. You've got a high-performance system done. 

 

Lisa Mead 30:04 

Yeah. And I mean, I was very, yeah, very headstrong on wanting to use as much technology as possible. So, I'm, I'm all online, so I just need my laptop and my cell phone. And people that work for me were remote as well. So yeah, the work from home thing. COVID didn't affect my business, because we were already operating like that. So, I had a guy in Switzerland, who was working for me, my old boss, actually, which is quite funny. He was a chartered accountant as well. So, you know, like, Asia wasn't a problem. All of my systems work really nicely together. And yeah, just making it as simple as possible, as easy as possible for that long, long game, really, 

 

STARTING A TEAM 

James Laughlin 30:52 

That's unreal. And there's a lot of single parents, I know all put up these not excuses but stories that I can't do, I don't have the time, I don't want to take the risk. But you're right, they're really going for it, you were building almost one new client a day. So, as you were building your client base, and then still needing to execute on the services you need to provide for all those new clients. Was there a point that you hit? We're like, oh, my God, I've got to start getting a team together here. 

 

Lisa Mead 31:18 

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Um, pretty much straightaway. Because it was quite overwhelming when you're trying to do everything yourself. I guess that was the tricky part. When you first start, you're the marketing person, you're the finance person, you're you know, you're on the ground, you're meeting people, all of that sort of stuff. So, I got an intern, actually, within a couple of months. And that was amazing, because she really took some of that pressure off me, and really started creating that team feel. And that's what I liked as well. So, I went and hired my first person and may of the following year. So, within the first year, I had a part time permanent person working for me, I'm doing a lot of like, the admin side of things as well, which is, yeah, a big part of growing a business. And I recognise that, you know, if you get that, right, you can grow something quite quickly. And in big scale if you do things, right, and if you do things, you know, what the people power at the end of the day, you can't do everything yourself. And I think if you recognise that, then then you're willing to grow your team. And we've got about five now just kind of part time contractor-ish roles. And it's good, it works nicely. But yeah, it's one of those things to build a business, sometimes you have to build a team around it. And having the right people is important too. So, I'm very careful about who I who I hire who I let in my team, I guess, because my clients need to interact with these people as well. And, you know, I'm conscious of the type of clients I take on too, because I want them to be, you know, the right type of people to interact with my team as well. So it goes both ways. 

 

WHAT’S YOUR CURRENT GREATEST CHALLENG YOU’RE TRYING TO OVERCOME? 

James Laughlin 33:11 

That's brilliant. I really think, you know, certainly in the coaching realm, as well, I always take time to interview a potential client to make sure that they are going to be the right fit for me and vice versa. So I think that's a great thing to approach in any industry. So, I really salute you. That's brilliant. And when you think about where you're trying to take things now, what's your current greatest challenge that you're trying to overcome? 

 

Lisa Mead 33:36 

Well, current greatest challenge, I think, actually, I'm facing a little bit of self-doubt at the moment, which I usually don't. So that's an interesting one for me. And that's because I've written another book, though, yeah, I started writing it over, locked down. And it's a little bit of my journey, before I had my son during my relationship with his father, and after. So, it's a real kind of, I guess, another roller coaster, but it focuses on talking about domestic abuse and reducing that stigma around it because I think a lot of people don't talk about it. I think it should be talked about more, I think we should have a bit of a more focus on positive relationships and role models for kids because that's, you know, this is the next generation that's going to come out and parent the next lot of kids. So yeah, that's my biggest challenge at the moment. I'm launching a Kickstarter next week for that and that's definitely got a lot of self-doubt around it, because I think, you know, it goes through your head like, I believe in this but why would somebody else believe in this, you know? Like, it's just such a journey of your head kind of trying to overtake and it's just the fear factor again, and just your body going, oh, we need to avoid this situation because it seems risky. It seems, maybe you just want to protect yourself from that. So, it's me just ignoring that sort of that noise in that headspace and going gut feel this is the right thing to do, I really believe in this. Because that's it's not my son's story anymore. This is like my story. And I'm in a really privileged position again. And so, I think, you know, it's my position to be able to use there. And, you know, my son's father actually is aware of the book, and is happy for me to share it in order to potentially help other people. So, you know, that's, that's pretty unheard of, as well. So, I'd like to do something with that. And so, yeah, to be able to do a Kickstarter to publish the book for one to share some key messaging around it. I mean, I have what I call a billboard version this year. So, I'd like to see it on billboards.  

 

James Laughlin 35:53 

I Love it! 

 

 

 

 

Lisa Mead 35:54 

Yeah. So, I've had some artwork done. So, I did some body art, just to share my story on my body, basically. So, I've got that kind of ready to go. 

 

James Laughlin 36:07 

That's so powerful. 

 

Lisa Mead 36:08 

Yeah, I want I want an audible version as well, because I don't want any barriers for people to be, you know, reading it or listening to it. So, literacy is a huge issue for some, some of the population obviously. So yeah, I just don't want barriers to it. And I want to, I want to basically help people to reach out and talk to someone, if they're in that situation, or if they've even had that situation, and they're just struggling to get over, you know, the trauma of it in, in all of that sort of stuff. Because I've worked really hard over the past, you know, three or four years to really get kind of deeper into myself and work past the trauma that has occurred in my life. But yeah, and I just feel like I'm in a really positive space, and to be able to be talking about it, you know, it's only been about 11 years, when most people don't talk about it for 20 years, at least, or they just don't talk about it at all. So that's the sort of stuff that I want to change, I want to see change, you know, and I think we can collectively do that. And I'm trying to bring as many people on, on the journey as possible. And by doing a Kickstarter that really engages other people and gets them on board. And it's a bigger, it's a bigger vision, it's not just me, you know, I'm just one story. There's so many more out there. So, 

 

James Laughlin 37:30 

Such a visionary, like, I'm going to make sure and share that Kickstarter link below all of our videos on the podcast. So please, people, if you're listening, get in and share it. I can't wait to read that book. And, you know, I think it's so important that you do share your story. And it's in a way, because so many people will connect with that. And when you talk about self-doubt, it's so interesting. I do a little bit of work around that. And I talk about two clubs, so we can be in their self-beating club, or we can be in the self-building club. And it's all inner dialogue. So, it comes back to say, Carol Dweck book that's a little bit high, we're speaking starts with thoughts that then turn into words that then turn into behaviour. So, I would say whatever you're doing, take a moment this week and go, I published a book, I started a kick ass ask business, I'm an amazing, remind yourself, you're amazing. 

 

Lisa Mead 38:19 

I'm all about that mirror talk, you know, that you get up and you know, self-affirmations. Like, I do sound quite regularly and I like I'm strong, unable, I'm capable. Like, I am a bad ass, like, you know, like, and I'll remind myself through the day if I need to, you know, like, if you if you keep that positive self-talk going, there is nothing that can really stop you from doing what you should be ultimately doing. And, you know, somebody wants told me, you know, stop, stop doing what you're doing, you stop trying to change the world. And, you know, I thought, well, I'm not actually trying to change the world. I'm just trying to change the world for one person. And if it's one person at a time, then that's enough for me. 

 

James Laughlin 39:06 

That's amazing. I love it. And what do you what are you most grateful for right now? 

 

Lisa Mead 39:10 

I think it's the flexibility to do things on my terms on my time to choose the type of clients that I work with, is amazing. To choose the projects that I work on, you know, to choose how I spend my time, to choose where I want to go, you know, in any week and stay in different places, and to be, I guess, remote to have a significant amount of financial freedom as massive. There are so many things I'm grateful for. But yeah, to be in the position to do what I do. That's what I'm grateful for. And that would not have happened. If I didn't take a risk. 

 

James Laughlin 39:45 

You took action. And that's I guess, too many of us sit in those muddy waters of indecision, but instead of doing That you're like, no, I'm going to take action, I'm going to put myself out there. And probably most people that were in your position would start to think what other people would think about them. If it fails, or if I start small, or if I, you know, if I make a mistake, you didn't care, you move forward on your leverage of your son, he was your inspiration. You get a deep why. 

 

Lisa Mead 40:19 

Yeah, I didn't really dwell on that stuff. And I usually don't that's not the focus that my brain kind of chooses to go in. I'm, I'm really focused on what would happen if I did this. What is the positive impact? What is the benefit? What, you know, what are the opportunities that could create? That's the that's the fun stuff. That's the stuff that gets that, you know, the joy building up and the bubbles and the, you know, all of that positive stuff. I tend to ignore all of that, you know, negative self-talk or the what if scenarios, because what else? they're not definite? And, you know, the good stuff isn't difficult either but I'd rather look at that. 

 

James Laughlin 41:07 

That's amazing. And that's a choice like that comes down to inner choice to think like that. And it's, it's a small percentage of the population that do but by you mentoring others, helping others. If you can help one other person, think like that, and then they help their sibling or their child or their grandchild. While it's just going to keep growing Is not? 

 

Lisa Mead 41:23 

Yeah, and that's a lot of that growth mindset stuff. You know. So, if you want a foundation of that kind of thinking that book is where it's it. 

 

James Laughlin 41:32 

Yeah, everybody gone by that book, actually go and buy both books and go to the Kickstarter guys. Invest in yourselves. 

 

Lisa Mead 41:38 

Yeah. I mean, I don't usually read books twice, but I read that one twice. So that's, that's probably saying something. 

 

 

James Laughlin 41:44 

Yeah, another one that I find quite similar was thinking grow rich. And I've read it like four or five times. Initially, I was so hesitant to read it will read now that sounds ugly, you know, but then when I got my head around that and read it, it was all around growth mindset. Yeah. Nice. It was amazing. And one last question that I always like to ask our guests is, what does living life on purpose mean to you? 

 

Lisa Mead 42:09 

I think living life on purpose means doing what you love, and never working a day in your life. Because what you do really just grows every area of your life, and in a better way or a better form. And it really floods into other people's lives as well. So, what you do, just it can't stop. And yeah, it can only do good. It can only benefit. And yeah, why? Why would you want to do anything that does not have purpose? 

 

James Laughlin 42:45 

Agreed. 100% agreed. I just want to say you are an incredible inspiration as a parent, as a business owner, as a leader. It's incredible what you do. So, I want to wish you nothing but the best for the future. Thank you very much. Well, thank you so much for coming on. 

 

Thank you so much for listening in today and investing in your own personal growth. Please hit that subscribe button. I would love, love, love If you'd leave me a rating and review as it really helps me to impact more people. I've got some amazing guests lined up in the coming weeks and folks, it's that time. Get out there and live life on purpose.