S1E13: The dark side of success, overcoming severe burnout in a toxic work environment with Kelly
Are you struggling with the overwhelming stress of burnout? Tune in to our latest episode as we sit down with Kelly, a renowned expert on severe burnout and its effects on the mind and body. With firsthand experience of the devastating consequences of burnout, Kelly provides valuable insights on how to recognize the warning signs and take action to prevent it from taking over your life. Through their own personal journey of recovery and the stories of their clients, Kelly offers actionable tips and strategies to help you reduce stress and avoid burnout.
Don’t let burnout rob you of your health and happiness – join us for this informative and inspiring interview and take the first step towards a life beyond burnout. Introducing Kelly, the Burnout Recovery Strategist and Coach for leaders looking to overcome burnout and live a more fulfilling life. With years of personal experience as a high-achiever who fell victim to burnout twice, Kelly has dedicated her career to helping others reduce stress, identify their goals, and align their mind and body to prevent burnout from striking again. Through her expertise and personal journey, Kelly has developed effective strategies and techniques that have helped her and her clients to recover from burnout and thrive in all aspects of life. If you’re ready to leave burnout behind and start living your best life, Kelly is the coach for you.
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Oh yeah.Speaker 2: 53:32
All these different shirts. No, that was the other Brian. That was T-shirt Brian Oh.Speaker 1: 53:37
T-shirt Brian. Oh my God, yeah, brian with the insurgents was very funny.Speaker 2: 53:41
Yeah, um, we had the lady with four million jobs. Do you remember that one Mm? hmm, i know Where she had like what was it Like? 47.Speaker 1: 53:54
Like her first. Like her first line out of the box was like I’ve had 46 jobs in the past 30 years and we’re like what.Speaker 2: 54:05
We’ve got Amy, who talks to us about toxic positivity, which is pretty cool, and then we had Stu, who was our most recent recording, yeah, talking about leadership, which I’m pretty bloody excited about.Speaker 1: 54:20
And now so we’ll be doing some more interviews, but also sprinkling in some of the research episodes.Speaker 2: 54:25
Yeah, and then we’ll be doing some research episodes is going to like is our next kind of step right? That’s our evolution.Speaker 1: 54:33
And we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what you guys like more And if you have any comments, thoughts, reactions, just reach out to us.Speaker 2: 54:39
Yeah, We really appreciate everybody’s comments. Yeah, We’ve had. I just, I just get so excited when someone comments, So if you could comment like like subscribe, share follow all those good things. Come join us on LinkedIn. Come join us on.Speaker 3: 54:55
Instagram, yeah, yeah Find us a good place.Speaker 4: 54:57
We’d be happy to have you.Speaker 2: 54:59
And we’ll see you in season two. Couple weeks, yeah, yeah, a couple weeks. Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to share your story, we would love to hear from you.Speaker 1: 55:10
Also, leaving a review helps us create more content because it shows us there’s an interest in this topic.Speaker 2: 55:16
For those of our listeners who do better with reading, we have closed caption available on YouTube.Speaker 1: 55:20
See you next week, same time and same place.
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this podcast may contain adult themes
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this podcast is for entertainment
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purposes only the views and opinions in
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this podcast are expressly our own when
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I get into the workplace I like to [ __ ]
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[ __ ] up
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honestly every time I try to do
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something fun or exciting you make it
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not that way hey are you tired of toxic
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workplaces and the negativity that comes
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with them we hear you and we’re here to
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shake things up welcome to let’s break
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up toxic workplace Stories the podcast
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that’s all about breaking up with
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workplace toxicity I’m Nicola and I’m
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here with my co-host Gina together we’re
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going to explore real life experiences
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of workplace toxicity and offer a sense
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of encouragement and unity that’s right
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we’re tackling the tough topic of
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negativity in the workplace and turning
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it into a movement for positivity we’ll
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be interviewing guests to share their
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experiences and offer practical
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solutions for dealing with workplace the
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city our aim is to promote solidarity
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and a sense of community amongst our
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listeners let’s break up is quickly
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becoming the go-to source for anyone
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looking to share and then ditch the
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drama and create a happier healthier
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work environment so join us each week as
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we explore the various forms of toxicity
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in the workplace Get Ready To Join the
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Revolution against red flags and toxic
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workplaces thanks for tuning in and
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don’t forget to like subscribe and tell
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all your friends in this week’s episode
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okay can I be so you’re getting another
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makeup tutorial and a hair tutorial
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today today I wish seriously you need to
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try this stuff it is what is the brand
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name it’s called milkshake
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that’s the brand name yeah and it’s
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leave-in conditioner but it smells so
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yummy like you want to like lick the
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bottle it’s so good and then I hear you
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that’s curly her head curly hair curly
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hair curly head
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um peoples it just it makes your hair
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feel so soft and yummy by the way we’re
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not sponsored by any of these people or
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if milkshake really wants to sponsor me
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I’m totally open to it because yeah me
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too literally eat the entire brand how
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my company works for this this very cool
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hair care company called curl Smith
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and one of the people I work with a few
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different people there they’re based out
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of the UK fun yeah and
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um
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yesterday I got a huge package
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from one of the girls she sent me like
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because she knows that I have very curly
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hair and she knows that my daughter has
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super curly hair it was so generous of
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her like she is so sweet like it was
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just like it was such a nice little
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pick-me-up because I was like what a
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nice thing I know I was like what did I
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order and then I saw what it was who it
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was from like the company was from and I
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was like no no but she is
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what you can work with yeah I love that
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for you yeah it was really cool but hey
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any hair care products that either want
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to work with our company my company or
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wants to actually
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um sponsor us
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[Music]
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you know what we are just Shameless
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we’re like yeah let’s start this podcast
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We’re Not Gonna you know we’re not gonna
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like we’re not really the plan wasn’t
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really to monetize but now we’re like
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hey
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we’re here for it if you keep well in
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our defense I think we didn’t realize
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how much work it really was going to be
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like I think you and I kind of thought
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like oh this is gonna be fun it’ll be a
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fun little thing that we do on the side
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like a cute little side hustle yeah like
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a cute little passion project and it has
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it has like morphed into like a second
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full-time job oh my God like honestly I
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got especially for you because you’re
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doing all the editing like
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I think if we do start monetizing the
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very first thing we’re gonna do is get a
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video editor that would be a video and
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sound editor like because yeah it’s just
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it’s so much extra work for you and it
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but it’s like draining as well because
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you can’t listen to anything else
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they’re like I can’t watch my favorite
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TV because I’ve got I can’t do two songs
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simultaneously right no I like I’m I’m
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in the same place because it’s like I
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can’t like if if I’m listening to your
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first or second edits it’s like
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I do it from I have to listen to all my
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headphones you have to finish it as well
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right I can’t be distracted you know all
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those things so even though you are
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doing the majority of the back end work
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um that’s what she said
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laughs
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that is what she said but it is also
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happens to be really true
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um you know it’s it’s just a lot of work
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and time for both of us which yeah which
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I’m just I’m not complaining about but
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I’m just saying like I don’t I think we
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were surprised I think I think we didn’t
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realize like how bad like how much of a
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time commitment it truly you know what
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because I’m super hyper focused on it
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I’m really enjoying doing it though I
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know you are it’s pretty amazing
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are you I’m very well thank you so where
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are you coming to us from UK
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yay second UK well no Gareth was also
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the UK but he was New Year but he was
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he’s technically living in New Zealand
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right now okay I’m sorry it was like 5
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a.m here so you’re getting a hair and
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makeup tutorial while we’re doing a
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podcast it’s so great don’t worry don’t
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worry you look like you have the worst
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bowl cut I’ve ever seen it’s what I like
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it’s so sexy it’s the worst bowl cut
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don’t do that to yourself oh my God okay
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so it’s lovely to have you with us today
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thank you very much I’m pleased to be
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here I’m I’m hoping though that you have
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listened to a couple of the episodes so
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that you know you’re joining an entire
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hot maze I have some Snippets right we
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can all do hot mess brilliantly right
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oh yeah
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wow oh yeah
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yeah it’s so good okay so what are you
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certified in so that we we know what
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level of smart we’re dealing with uh
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psychology Neuroscience
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um organizational change in behavior
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um yoga meditation empowerment firework
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training uh breath work I have questions
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just let’s start with the firework walk
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trainer I’m curious about this too
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yeah what why why how why
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yep all right so I wanted to be able to
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I think as part of my coaching I wanted
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to be able to understand the physiology
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that can get clients making action like
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taking better action in a quicker way
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and understanding what the physiology is
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behind that so firewalking like glass
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glass walking Arrow breaking board
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breaks all of that empowerment stuff are
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amazing ways to get our physiology in
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the right space to get us to make the
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right decisions
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okay so here’s my question when you are
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walking on the fire do you just not feel
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it
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you feel it but you just go across it
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like you you know you’re walking on fire
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absolutely so it’s not like a mindset
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where you’re like I’m not gonna feel
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this heat you just you feel it and do it
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anyway no you you feel it but yeah you
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allow yourself to go through it anyway
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and I think you know a big shift for all
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of us is that if we want to make change
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we’ve got to go through some discomfort
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right change can be uncomfortable
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um otherwise you know if it wasn’t
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uncomfortable we’d all be doing it right
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we’d all it’s true we don’t have
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questions
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of all growth right who said that
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absolutely so we’re going to be able to
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get through that get through that
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threshold to move forwards does it leave
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blisters on the feet because
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that’s what it can do yeah it can it
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absolutely can do and I’ve definitely
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had some but I think in in the fire in
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the world of fire walking
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um they’re not they’re not called
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blisters they’re called fire kisses
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oh
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no no get off the grass okay I’m such a
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princess I am such a I say I’m not a
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princess at all right it’s it’s a fire
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it is a fire kiss I’m a wonderful baby
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for saying you have third degree burns
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I’m the soles of your feet yeah yeah
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such a wonderful euphemism no no I’m so
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I hate pain so much like it absolutely I
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love pain but I’m happy to be
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uncomfortable in a work environment
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happy to do that yeah
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a terrible uncomfortable work
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environment without knowing it’s
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terrible and uncomfortable
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and or a cult I’m so comfortable
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I’ve worked in a cult okay
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so I was head of HR in this organization
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and uh like the chief exec
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would quite literally we’d have these
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Monthly Star forums and the chief exec
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would like get everybody chanting right
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that Sunday was the best day of the week
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because it was the day before we came to
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work right and he’d get everybody to
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stand and we’d all have to chant and
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clap and do all this stuff and you go to
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your first one and you think what the
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absolute [ __ ] have I walked into right
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you’re like this is not but then you
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kind of get bought into it and you think
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this is the main thing because
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everybody’s really bought into it and
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you can create amazing HR stuff right
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you think this is wonderful but then
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people start to get disciplined when
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they don’t stand up and chant
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at the star forums right I’m literally
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having to discipline people and not
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being engaged and not being wonderful
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and not doing all this stuff and we used
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to have because the chief exec was a bit
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weird we would have loads of like
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quarters
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seriously but we’d have one of these
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reporters and journalists that would
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come to the Forum and the chief exec
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would be like Kelly accompany them to
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lunch afterwards so I I’d like be stuck
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with all the journalists at lunch
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and every single reporter or journalist
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would be like so it feels like a little
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bit of a cult right and it was my job
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to woo the journalists and tell them
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that it wasn’t it was just a really
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valued and engaged workplace where
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everybody feels like an amazing part of
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something wonderful and then when I left
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I met a guy who there before me and I
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met a guy and he’s like so you he’s like
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so where did you come from and I told
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him and he’s like so that’s the cult
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right and I was like uh-huh yeah yeah
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yeah so so did you know that it was
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while you were there or did it take you
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leaving it’s the brainwashing right
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you’re brainwashed into thinking this is
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what an amazing place to work looks like
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and you think oh I love it
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right you feel part it’s amazing
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did you really I love it
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in the middle a bit of it yeah the
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beginning bit I just thought what the
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hell
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yeah the end bit was like I need to get
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out like I need to get the hell out of
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here but the middle bit I worked with
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some incredible people
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well some incredible people so yeah it
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was it was lovely okay well let’s
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I like that we have a pre-story story I
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I appreciate that so yeah
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I will have hundreds of them literally
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oh we’re so on board
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probably get started would you like to
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introduce yourself Kelly because we are
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excited to tell people more about you I
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am Kelly swingler I am a burnout
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recovery strategist uh xhrd so I worked
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in HR for over 20 years I burned out
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really really badly in 2013. left the
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corporate world and decided that I knew
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everything that there was about burnout
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prevention really kind of embedded
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myself in all of this weird and
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wonderful training and then better again
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in 2015
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I realized that I hadn’t learned
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anything so that it was really time to
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make the changes uh and so since 2015 I
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have been uh making all the changes
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designing all the strategies and really
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helping leaders at all levels to uh live
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a life
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post burnout understand what all of that
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looks like post burnout but my big
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mission I will get there one day is to
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banish burnout and I believe that we can
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do that by eliminating toxic workplaces
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do you want to start by walking us
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through your first burnout and like what
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what industry were you in what was your
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position how long were you at the
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position so on and so forth yeah so I
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was an HR director
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um organization of just under 4 000
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people
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oh just I had a team of yeah just on dad
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a team of 43 people
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I was 32
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uh kind of thought I knew it all I’d
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been I’d been head hunted for this
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particular role from a previous
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organization they loved all of the stuff
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that I was doing in HR they loved the
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amazing workplaces that I was creating
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they loved all of their Innovative and
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creative things that I was doing to
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change the world of work for people so
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of course I go into this organization on
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my first day my gut was telling me you
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need to get the hell out of here on the
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first on the first day
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anything specific that it was I mean
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00:13:54,420 –> 00:13:59,040
definitely a few things yeah definitely
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00:13:57,000 –> 00:14:01,019
a few things so I turned up on my first
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day like nobody was expecting me I was
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left sat in reception for like an hour
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00:14:02,639 –> 00:14:08,160
ew then when I went up and kind of it
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was like your boss hasn’t got time to
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meet you today just like basically sit
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here we can’t give you any it access
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um and it was one of these places where
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you had like a like a key pass key fob
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to get around the building oh no I
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couldn’t I couldn’t go anywhere
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yeah couldn’t go anywhere on a school
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kid because I didn’t have my key pass
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couldn’t get on the internet but there
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was something else I just kind of sat
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there my gut was like get the hell out
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I put it down firstly to kind of first
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day nerves like who walks out of a job
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in their first day right nobody walks
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out of a job on their first day not at
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the level that I was at right this is
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stupid
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so uh so I stayed and the the niggling
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feeling that kept telling me to get the
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hell out there lasted for months and
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still I carried on and I think I was
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convinced that although I could start to
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see some of the like toxic behaviors and
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like the lack of communication the lack
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of Engagement the backstabbing the
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bitching the awful exec team the awful
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little I can see all this stuff
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but as the HR Director I think I you
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know I literally thought I could change
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all of this right what an amazing
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opportunity it was essentially your job
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to change all of it exactly right this
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was my job to change this whole
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workplace like single-handedly obviously
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um and I and I just stayed literally 43
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people don’t be 43 people
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um but I yeah I think I I just got to
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the point of like this I saw it as an
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opportunity to really really kind of
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make my mark and put my stamp on this
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workplace and really really change
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things so so I carried on
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and two years later I was serious like
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seriously seriously ill
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um my burnout had taken hold of me
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physically like to the point that I
390
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could not stand up straight the pain
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that I was in was ridiculous I couldn’t
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stand up straight couldn’t carry like my
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oversized handbag in my oversized high
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heels
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um literally couldn’t walk and I had
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seven months of being admitted in and
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out of hospital I was passing out on the
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train on the way home I was being
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00:16:12,240 –> 00:16:15,720
admitted to hospital nobody could tell
400
00:16:14,040 –> 00:16:17,279
me what was wrong with me
401
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uh but I still didn’t think there was
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00:16:17,279 –> 00:16:20,339
anything wrong right and everybody kept
403
00:16:18,899 –> 00:16:21,660
telling me all of my family and all of
404
00:16:20,339 –> 00:16:23,100
my friends were like you need to take a
405
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break it was like I don’t there’s
406
00:16:23,100 –> 00:16:26,519
nothing wrong with me that’s where
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burnout had got me
408
00:16:26,519 –> 00:16:31,800
were you working like crazy hours were
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the like
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what was actually happening because we
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00:16:34,019 –> 00:16:37,740
just spoke to somebody else about
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00:16:35,160 –> 00:16:39,959
burnout and they were saying that you
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00:16:37,740 –> 00:16:41,699
know the hours were becoming crazy they
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were focusing on things that they
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couldn’t control versus the things that
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they could
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um so what did what did your burnout
418
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look like before it became physical so
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before it became physical I would again
420
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I would say I don’t think there was
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anything wrong right I’ve been used to
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managing huge projects before I was
423
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always a hard-working over achieving
424
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over performing perfectionists right
425
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they were they were badges that I wore
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with with honor right this this is yep
427
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and I think at the level that I was
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working at and at the salary that I was
429
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being paid I think I just had this
430
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I don’t know like just this mentality
431
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that at my level on the salary that I
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00:17:27,000 –> 00:17:30,840
was being paid I needed to give as much
433
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as I could possibly give and I think
434
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also because I was the youngest director
435
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at that level I was also the only woman
436
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at that level and I think I felt like I
437
00:17:39,120 –> 00:17:43,440
had so much to prove so whilst I’m sat
438
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around board rooms and the bitching and
439
00:17:43,440 –> 00:17:47,820
the backstabbing is continue you know
440
00:17:45,660 –> 00:17:49,799
continuing I was managing multi-million
441
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pound projects
442
00:17:49,799 –> 00:17:53,100
um you know I was involved in lots and
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00:17:51,299 –> 00:17:55,440
lots of different change programs I was
444
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embedding a new team I there was so much
445
00:17:55,440 –> 00:17:59,160
exciting stuff that was happening and I
446
00:17:57,720 –> 00:18:01,020
just thought I had I was spinning lots
447
00:17:59,160 –> 00:18:02,880
and lots of plates but I had you know an
448
00:18:01,020 –> 00:18:06,120
incredible assistant I had an amazing
449
00:18:02,880 –> 00:18:08,100
team but kind of outside of my immediate
450
00:18:06,120 –> 00:18:10,980
assistant and my immediate team it like
451
00:18:08,100 –> 00:18:13,679
it was toxic like literally people would
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not invite you to a meeting and then
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send you this awful email about like
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where like how how dare you not turn up
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for this meeting it’s like I didn’t even
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I didn’t even know it was happening like
457
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you’d submit board papers but everybody
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like you’d had you’d have conversations
459
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with every single person about this
460
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board paper before you’d go into the
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meeting and everyone’s like yeah fully
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00:18:31,080 –> 00:18:35,039
on board love it and you’d get in the
463
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boardroom and people would be like
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looking at each other like
465
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what is she talking about like we have
466
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absolutely no idea what she said I’m
467
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like excuse me so there was all of those
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things happening but I think the most
469
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poisonous stuff that was going on was as
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part of a an organizational white change
471
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program the the organization had
472
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recruited
473
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um or were partnering with one of like
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the world’s leading top four
475
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consultancies you’d have for me I think
476
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the way that they get into organizations
477
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is the first in the first place is they
478
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battle people with science right so here
479
00:19:06,600 –> 00:19:12,059
is a PowerPoint presentation but with 10
480
00:19:09,840 –> 00:19:14,460
000 bits of data on yeah but the
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00:19:12,059 –> 00:19:16,080
information is so small that nobody can
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read it and nobody dare asks any
483
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questions because nobody wants to look
484
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like the stupid one in the room
485
00:19:21,380 –> 00:19:27,539
yeah yeah right blinded you with science
486
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you know so some of the most so one so
487
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part of how the company had engaged them
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was they would get like a percentage of
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every every Financial saving that the
490
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business would make this consultancy
491
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would get a percentage of that Saving
492
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right there was one project that my team
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had been leading
494
00:19:44,700 –> 00:19:48,240
my team had been needing this even
495
00:19:46,200 –> 00:19:49,559
before this consultancy was engaged my
496
00:19:48,240 –> 00:19:53,160
team had been leading on this project
497
00:19:49,559 –> 00:19:54,900
and we we had identified and were in the
498
00:19:53,160 –> 00:19:57,020
process of implementing within the first
499
00:19:54,900 –> 00:20:01,340
year of this project concluding
500
00:19:57,020 –> 00:20:03,419
14 million pound Saving right 40 million
501
00:20:01,340 –> 00:20:05,640
for commission
502
00:20:03,419 –> 00:20:07,260
and they took the commission for the
503
00:20:05,640 –> 00:20:09,179
project I know that they had nothing to
504
00:20:07,260 –> 00:20:11,220
do with it so I’m arguing with the
505
00:20:09,179 –> 00:20:12,480
finance director and and the senior
506
00:20:11,220 –> 00:20:13,980
consultant that was work and they’re
507
00:20:12,480 –> 00:20:16,799
like Kelly just let them have it I’m
508
00:20:13,980 –> 00:20:18,900
like this is unethical it’s immoral they
509
00:20:16,799 –> 00:20:21,299
did nothing the project was already
510
00:20:18,900 –> 00:20:22,799
finished before they came in and you’re
511
00:20:21,299 –> 00:20:24,539
going to give them a proportion well you
512
00:20:22,799 –> 00:20:26,100
know this is our contract terms well you
513
00:20:24,539 –> 00:20:27,720
need to re-look at the contract terms
514
00:20:26,100 –> 00:20:30,539
because if my team are going to continue
515
00:20:27,720 –> 00:20:32,160
to work to keep saving this money
516
00:20:30,539 –> 00:20:33,539
they’re going to take they’re going to
517
00:20:32,160 –> 00:20:36,360
take all of it so there was that stuff
518
00:20:33,539 –> 00:20:38,460
but what was also happening they kept
519
00:20:36,360 –> 00:20:40,140
organizing these like leadership-wide
520
00:20:38,460 –> 00:20:42,000
events so you’ve probably got between 60
521
00:20:40,140 –> 00:20:42,840
and 100 leaders in a room at any one
522
00:20:42,000 –> 00:20:44,460
time
523
00:20:42,840 –> 00:20:46,140
and we were stuck in these rooms for
524
00:20:44,460 –> 00:20:48,120
days right you’d have six Consultants
525
00:20:46,140 –> 00:20:51,200
like one leading it two typing on
526
00:20:48,120 –> 00:20:54,059
laptops either two people writing
527
00:20:51,200 –> 00:20:56,460
one person doing something else
528
00:20:54,059 –> 00:20:57,660
but at the end of these meetings that we
529
00:20:56,460 –> 00:21:01,080
would literally feel like we were
530
00:20:57,660 –> 00:21:02,880
trapped in these rooms for days yes and
531
00:21:01,080 –> 00:21:04,679
I’m looking at it from a time and cost
532
00:21:02,880 –> 00:21:06,299
perspective to the organization right
533
00:21:04,679 –> 00:21:08,700
how much is this costing us in time how
534
00:21:06,299 –> 00:21:10,380
much is this costing us in money and at
535
00:21:08,700 –> 00:21:12,000
the end of these meetings the guy that
536
00:21:10,380 –> 00:21:14,280
was stood there and like he’s his gray
537
00:21:12,000 –> 00:21:15,480
pinstripe suit would kind of open up his
538
00:21:14,280 –> 00:21:18,299
suit jacket
539
00:21:15,480 –> 00:21:20,460
pull out this piece of paper and be like
540
00:21:18,299 –> 00:21:22,140
here’s one I prepared earlier
541
00:21:20,460 –> 00:21:23,820
and then ignore everything that we’d
542
00:21:22,140 –> 00:21:25,620
said for the last two days and I’m like
543
00:21:23,820 –> 00:21:27,600
what are you doing so again like from
544
00:21:25,620 –> 00:21:29,100
any moral and unethical perspective I’m
545
00:21:27,600 –> 00:21:30,600
like this does not feel right and this
546
00:21:29,100 –> 00:21:33,179
stuff has continued to happen and happen
547
00:21:30,600 –> 00:21:34,620
and I continue to call it out
548
00:21:33,179 –> 00:21:36,000
and everybody else is like but you know
549
00:21:34,620 –> 00:21:37,740
it’s in the contract we’ve just got to
550
00:21:36,000 –> 00:21:41,340
kind of you know just just leave it that
551
00:21:37,740 –> 00:21:43,740
contract real money contracts as your as
552
00:21:41,340 –> 00:21:46,320
your yeah lawyer I’m not a lawyer
553
00:21:43,740 –> 00:21:48,780
absolutely I’m not but as your husband
554
00:21:46,320 –> 00:21:50,820
absolutely I’m not um but as your
555
00:21:48,780 –> 00:21:53,100
favorite lawyer friend as your fake
556
00:21:50,820 –> 00:21:55,320
lawyer friend the one that does the one
557
00:21:53,100 –> 00:21:58,280
that is studying a master of law read
558
00:21:55,320 –> 00:21:58,280
your contracts
559
00:21:59,870 –> 00:22:02,920
[Music]
560
00:22:03,260 –> 00:22:08,820
but that was the thing and I think
561
00:22:05,280 –> 00:22:11,760
seeing this unethically moral staff
562
00:22:08,820 –> 00:22:13,320
got me even more into like I have to be
563
00:22:11,760 –> 00:22:14,880
the one to make the change right I’ve
564
00:22:13,320 –> 00:22:16,320
got to stop this stuff I’ve got to stop
565
00:22:14,880 –> 00:22:17,340
this unethical I’ve got to stop this
566
00:22:16,320 –> 00:22:19,559
immoral
567
00:22:17,340 –> 00:22:20,940
and then they said to me what what can I
568
00:22:19,559 –> 00:22:23,760
really got to the point was they said to
569
00:22:20,940 –> 00:22:25,679
me you need to restructure your team you
570
00:22:23,760 –> 00:22:28,260
need to make them put them at risk of
571
00:22:25,679 –> 00:22:30,299
redundancy before Christmas and then
572
00:22:28,260 –> 00:22:32,400
when you come back in January you need
573
00:22:30,299 –> 00:22:33,659
to you need to like consult with them at
574
00:22:32,400 –> 00:22:36,720
the same time as interviewing them for
575
00:22:33,659 –> 00:22:38,460
their posts I was like immoral unethical
576
00:22:36,720 –> 00:22:40,980
I was basically shot by the whole of the
577
00:22:38,460 –> 00:22:42,360
leadership team yeah and was basically
578
00:22:40,980 –> 00:22:45,179
told by the whole of the leadership team
579
00:22:42,360 –> 00:22:48,240
Kelly just get on with it you’re taking
580
00:22:45,179 –> 00:22:53,520
on all of this stuff
581
00:22:48,240 –> 00:22:56,700
um calling out the you know unethical
582
00:22:53,520 –> 00:22:58,679
proceedings of this company yeah and and
583
00:22:56,700 –> 00:23:00,900
then your physical symptoms start
584
00:22:58,679 –> 00:23:02,340
correct yeah so then my physical
585
00:23:00,900 –> 00:23:03,840
symptoms start so I was basically told
586
00:23:02,340 –> 00:23:06,960
make your team redundant Before
587
00:23:03,840 –> 00:23:08,580
Christmas uh which I did reluctantly
588
00:23:06,960 –> 00:23:10,559
worried about it all over the Christmas
589
00:23:08,580 –> 00:23:12,900
breaks I thought this is just wrong and
590
00:23:10,559 –> 00:23:16,380
I need to be there for my team and so I
591
00:23:12,900 –> 00:23:18,120
had gone back in the first day after in
592
00:23:16,380 –> 00:23:21,000
the in the in the new year to start
593
00:23:18,120 –> 00:23:22,380
interviewing my team for their jobs in a
594
00:23:21,000 –> 00:23:24,299
restructure that I didn’t agree with
595
00:23:22,380 –> 00:23:26,400
didn’t think it was being done correctly
596
00:23:24,299 –> 00:23:27,840
I didn’t agree with the way it was being
597
00:23:26,400 –> 00:23:29,280
done didn’t agree with the timing didn’t
598
00:23:27,840 –> 00:23:31,860
agree with anything but I thought you
599
00:23:29,280 –> 00:23:33,059
know if it has to be done it will be me
600
00:23:31,860 –> 00:23:34,620
that leads it because I’m going to make
601
00:23:33,059 –> 00:23:36,840
sure that every single one of my team is
602
00:23:34,620 –> 00:23:39,059
treated fairly and awesomely and treated
603
00:23:36,840 –> 00:23:40,080
like people and supported and all of
604
00:23:39,059 –> 00:23:42,299
that stuff
605
00:23:40,080 –> 00:23:45,059
and it was by the lunchtime of the first
606
00:23:42,299 –> 00:23:46,500
day of interviews that this crippling
607
00:23:45,059 –> 00:23:48,179
pain came
608
00:23:46,500 –> 00:23:49,740
and I was interviewing with two other
609
00:23:48,179 –> 00:23:50,820
directors from across the business they
610
00:23:49,740 –> 00:23:52,500
said Kelly you’re gonna have to go home
611
00:23:50,820 –> 00:23:54,960
I was like absolutely no way right this
612
00:23:52,500 –> 00:23:57,059
is my team we need consistent interview
613
00:23:54,960 –> 00:23:58,140
panels I need to be supporting my team I
614
00:23:57,059 –> 00:24:00,840
need to be supporting my people
615
00:23:58,140 –> 00:24:03,120
understanding that was on the Wednesday
616
00:24:00,840 –> 00:24:04,980
on the Thursday I’d gone so I was
617
00:24:03,120 –> 00:24:06,780
commuting into London so I live like 100
618
00:24:04,980 –> 00:24:08,520
miles out of London I was commuting on
619
00:24:06,780 –> 00:24:09,659
the train takes me about an hour and a
620
00:24:08,520 –> 00:24:12,260
half
621
00:24:09,659 –> 00:24:12,260
um to get in
622
00:24:16,580 –> 00:24:21,620
so it is especially when it’s like three
623
00:24:19,260 –> 00:24:21,620
hours a day
624
00:24:22,740 –> 00:24:26,460
absolutely so I went back in on the
625
00:24:24,720 –> 00:24:28,200
Thursday the pain had gotten even worse
626
00:24:26,460 –> 00:24:29,460
and the same two I was interviewing with
627
00:24:28,200 –> 00:24:30,840
the same two directors they’re like
628
00:24:29,460 –> 00:24:32,400
Kelly you have to go home I was like
629
00:24:30,840 –> 00:24:33,960
nope nope because I’m going to be here
630
00:24:32,400 –> 00:24:36,179
to support my team and make sure it’s a
631
00:24:33,960 –> 00:24:38,340
fair process and blah blah blah blah and
632
00:24:36,179 –> 00:24:39,960
the Friday came couldn’t carry my own
633
00:24:38,340 –> 00:24:41,580
handbag by the Friday because the pain
634
00:24:39,960 –> 00:24:43,799
was so ridiculous couldn’t stand up
635
00:24:41,580 –> 00:24:45,780
straight couldn’t walk properly but
636
00:24:43,799 –> 00:24:47,400
hobbledon did the hour and a half
637
00:24:45,780 –> 00:24:48,780
commute got myself into London got
638
00:24:47,400 –> 00:24:50,039
myself into the office got did myself
639
00:24:48,780 –> 00:24:51,900
the interviews
640
00:24:50,039 –> 00:24:54,179
and it was that night the pain had got
641
00:24:51,900 –> 00:24:55,039
so excruciating on the train on the way
642
00:24:54,179 –> 00:24:59,299
home
643
00:24:55,039 –> 00:25:02,100
that I had gone into the toilet
644
00:24:59,299 –> 00:25:04,740
and in the UK I don’t know if it’s the
645
00:25:02,100 –> 00:25:07,080
same way you are but in the UK we have
646
00:25:04,740 –> 00:25:09,000
like these on the trains not you don’t
647
00:25:07,080 –> 00:25:11,100
get them in every Carriage but there are
648
00:25:09,000 –> 00:25:12,900
these toilets
649
00:25:11,100 –> 00:25:14,820
um to kind of allow for wheelchair
650
00:25:12,900 –> 00:25:16,799
access and they have like the sliding
651
00:25:14,820 –> 00:25:19,140
doors that are kind of like on a curve
652
00:25:16,799 –> 00:25:21,480
you don’t know by pressing the buttons
653
00:25:19,140 –> 00:25:22,799
whether it’s opening or locked or like I
654
00:25:21,480 –> 00:25:24,779
mean it’s just like flashes at you
655
00:25:22,799 –> 00:25:26,640
constantly but I say my biggest
656
00:25:24,779 –> 00:25:28,679
achievement on the way home that day was
657
00:25:26,640 –> 00:25:30,779
actually getting myself the door open
658
00:25:28,679 –> 00:25:32,760
getting into the toilet and locking the
659
00:25:30,779 –> 00:25:34,620
door right because normally you can sit
660
00:25:32,760 –> 00:25:37,640
peeing in those rooms and you think it’s
661
00:25:34,620 –> 00:25:37,640
locked and then somebody else
662
00:25:44,580 –> 00:25:49,700
but that didn’t happen on this day right
663
00:25:46,860 –> 00:25:54,059
so I still wondering
664
00:25:49,700 –> 00:25:56,279
what did happen was I had sat down just
665
00:25:54,059 –> 00:25:59,039
literally to try and kind of you know
666
00:25:56,279 –> 00:26:01,080
Splash my face with water do whatever I
667
00:25:59,039 –> 00:26:03,539
hadn’t realized that I had passed out
668
00:26:01,080 –> 00:26:06,020
until I found myself on the floor having
669
00:26:03,539 –> 00:26:09,120
hit my head on the sink
670
00:26:06,020 –> 00:26:11,059
pain that I was experiencing
671
00:26:09,120 –> 00:26:14,700
but I managed to get myself together
672
00:26:11,059 –> 00:26:17,400
hobbled back to my seat
673
00:26:14,700 –> 00:26:19,260
thankfully I’d managed to get myself off
674
00:26:17,400 –> 00:26:21,240
the train at my own station a friend of
675
00:26:19,260 –> 00:26:23,700
mine had been a few carriages back on
676
00:26:21,240 –> 00:26:25,380
the same train she saw me hobbling
677
00:26:23,700 –> 00:26:27,600
across the the platform at the station
678
00:26:25,380 –> 00:26:30,179
her husband took me to accident an
679
00:26:27,600 –> 00:26:33,360
emergency and that became the first of
680
00:26:30,179 –> 00:26:35,460
my Hospital admissions I was still back
681
00:26:33,360 –> 00:26:37,940
in at work on the Monday I was gonna say
682
00:26:35,460 –> 00:26:37,940
in yourself
683
00:26:41,240 –> 00:26:46,860
let me ask a couple questions
684
00:26:44,039 –> 00:26:48,900
um I identify with that feeling of like
685
00:26:46,860 –> 00:26:52,440
okay this is on me
686
00:26:48,900 –> 00:26:55,380
like I’m the one who has to change this
687
00:26:52,440 –> 00:26:58,559
I’m the only one who could do it
688
00:26:55,380 –> 00:27:00,720
um yeah do you think which is in reality
689
00:26:58,559 –> 00:27:02,840
at least for me but I have a feeling
690
00:27:00,720 –> 00:27:06,360
you’ll agree that’s not
691
00:27:02,840 –> 00:27:08,940
that’s not what it is it’s like you have
692
00:27:06,360 –> 00:27:11,760
a team you have people who can help you
693
00:27:08,940 –> 00:27:14,220
if you ask but I sometimes have trouble
694
00:27:11,760 –> 00:27:15,059
asking for help
695
00:27:14,220 –> 00:27:18,539
um
696
00:27:15,059 –> 00:27:20,220
and do you think possibly it was a
697
00:27:18,539 –> 00:27:22,620
combination of knowing what you were
698
00:27:20,220 –> 00:27:26,340
doing was unethical
699
00:27:22,620 –> 00:27:27,779
um and also that ego of thinking I’m the
700
00:27:26,340 –> 00:27:32,700
only one who could do this in the right
701
00:27:27,779 –> 00:27:35,460
way and like the dichotomy of that
702
00:27:32,700 –> 00:27:36,659
yes I know so with with all of the
703
00:27:35,460 –> 00:27:39,240
research and all of the work that I’ve
704
00:27:36,659 –> 00:27:41,460
done on burnouts since then
705
00:27:39,240 –> 00:27:43,559
the way that I kind of describe it now
706
00:27:41,460 –> 00:27:45,480
is I think when we are in toxic
707
00:27:43,559 –> 00:27:49,440
workplaces
708
00:27:45,480 –> 00:27:52,140
what can happen to us is we start to
709
00:27:49,440 –> 00:27:54,240
change who we are right fundamentally
710
00:27:52,140 –> 00:27:57,480
who we are to try and fit into these
711
00:27:54,240 –> 00:27:59,279
organizations right so this is me these
712
00:27:57,480 –> 00:28:01,860
are my values this is who I am at my
713
00:27:59,279 –> 00:28:04,679
core I’m strong I’m able I’m capable
714
00:28:01,860 –> 00:28:06,299
this is me but we’re in this toxic
715
00:28:04,679 –> 00:28:07,679
environment with all of this crap that’s
716
00:28:06,299 –> 00:28:09,120
going on around us right people not
717
00:28:07,679 –> 00:28:10,020
inviting me to meetings but if they’re
718
00:28:09,120 –> 00:28:11,220
not going to invite me to the meeting
719
00:28:10,020 –> 00:28:12,659
I’m not going to invite them to the
720
00:28:11,220 –> 00:28:13,860
meeting if they’re not going to give me
721
00:28:12,659 –> 00:28:15,840
the information I’m not going to give
722
00:28:13,860 –> 00:28:17,760
them the information and it’s almost
723
00:28:15,840 –> 00:28:19,500
like we then go for kind of Tit for Tat
724
00:28:17,760 –> 00:28:22,380
in these organizations so what we start
725
00:28:19,500 –> 00:28:26,039
to do is step away from who we really
726
00:28:22,380 –> 00:28:28,640
are right my core values are not exclude
727
00:28:26,039 –> 00:28:32,100
people and act like an absolute whatever
728
00:28:28,640 –> 00:28:34,380
my core values are let’s be open honest
729
00:28:32,100 –> 00:28:35,820
transparent all of this stuff so I think
730
00:28:34,380 –> 00:28:37,860
when we’re in those environments that’s
731
00:28:35,820 –> 00:28:40,380
what starts to happen and the way that I
732
00:28:37,860 –> 00:28:43,679
kind of describe that is the further
733
00:28:40,380 –> 00:28:46,080
that we step away from Who We Are the
734
00:28:43,679 –> 00:28:47,580
bigger the Gap we leave for Burnout to
735
00:28:46,080 –> 00:28:50,940
fill
736
00:28:47,580 –> 00:28:54,539
so I I didn’t at the time I like that
737
00:28:50,940 –> 00:28:59,279
yeah so I didn’t necessarily at the time
738
00:28:54,539 –> 00:29:01,020
know that my ego was taking over and my
739
00:28:59,279 –> 00:29:02,220
ego was like it’s gonna be you it’s got
740
00:29:01,020 –> 00:29:05,700
to be you it’s going to be you it’s got
741
00:29:02,220 –> 00:29:08,760
to be you because I wasn’t like I wasn’t
742
00:29:05,700 –> 00:29:09,900
me I wasn’t aligned with who I am and I
743
00:29:08,760 –> 00:29:12,480
just thought I just got to keep going
744
00:29:09,900 –> 00:29:15,240
right if there is all of this toxicity
745
00:29:12,480 –> 00:29:16,440
if there is all of this ego bashing and
746
00:29:15,240 –> 00:29:18,240
there is all of this horrible stuff
747
00:29:16,440 –> 00:29:21,360
going on like I have to be the person
748
00:29:18,240 –> 00:29:23,220
that saves this because my team are at
749
00:29:21,360 –> 00:29:25,200
risk these people are at risk these like
750
00:29:23,220 –> 00:29:29,039
are almost like I have to save everybody
751
00:29:25,200 –> 00:29:31,260
right from this hell right right so I’m
752
00:29:29,039 –> 00:29:32,580
being pulled between I’ve got to do
753
00:29:31,260 –> 00:29:34,080
what’s right because I still have to
754
00:29:32,580 –> 00:29:35,220
keep doing the right thing even though
755
00:29:34,080 –> 00:29:36,659
I’m not doing the right thing because
756
00:29:35,220 –> 00:29:39,539
I’m starting to change my behaviors
757
00:29:36,659 –> 00:29:41,100
right but the core driver of me is like
758
00:29:39,539 –> 00:29:42,779
but you’ve got to keep going right you
759
00:29:41,100 –> 00:29:45,240
can change this Kelly you can change it
760
00:29:42,779 –> 00:29:47,340
you can change it you can change it and
761
00:29:45,240 –> 00:29:49,799
so in that that’s when the ego steps
762
00:29:47,340 –> 00:29:52,200
over far but seven months later and
763
00:29:49,799 –> 00:29:53,700
every time I was admitted to hospital I
764
00:29:52,200 –> 00:29:55,080
was still working on my hospital bed
765
00:29:53,700 –> 00:29:56,340
right I don’t know if you I don’t know
766
00:29:55,080 –> 00:29:59,000
if any of you two are like fans of
767
00:29:56,340 –> 00:30:01,740
friends like TV series friends
768
00:29:59,000 –> 00:30:04,980
I’ve seen it I’m not a fan but the one
769
00:30:01,740 –> 00:30:08,100
where first gives birth where Phoebe no
770
00:30:04,980 –> 00:30:09,720
no so they do like I think it’s Janice
771
00:30:08,100 –> 00:30:11,340
like Chandler’s uh Chandler’s girlfriend
772
00:30:09,720 –> 00:30:12,960
Janice she’s like I don’t know like what
773
00:30:11,340 –> 00:30:15,539
would be what would be different for all
774
00:30:12,960 –> 00:30:17,100
of you right and they all go down this
775
00:30:15,539 –> 00:30:19,140
route of like this kind of alter it’s
776
00:30:17,100 –> 00:30:20,820
like the sliding doors moment right the
777
00:30:19,140 –> 00:30:23,159
alternative Lifestyles that they could
778
00:30:20,820 –> 00:30:24,200
tell when she’s when Phoebe’s in the
779
00:30:23,159 –> 00:30:26,539
House
780
00:30:24,200 –> 00:30:30,779
Executive yeah
781
00:30:26,539 –> 00:30:33,120
yeah smoking in the toilet typing away
782
00:30:30,779 –> 00:30:35,940
on her laptop on her like on on her
783
00:30:33,120 –> 00:30:38,399
phone not completely like yeah just
784
00:30:35,940 –> 00:30:41,340
having had like yeah sir like hernia
785
00:30:38,399 –> 00:30:43,860
having had a heart attack yeah yeah okay
786
00:30:41,340 –> 00:30:45,659
that that was me yeah that was me every
787
00:30:43,860 –> 00:30:48,240
time I was rushed into Hospital
788
00:30:45,659 –> 00:30:50,880
that was me and I look back at it now
789
00:30:48,240 –> 00:30:53,760
and I’m like how could you
790
00:30:50,880 –> 00:30:56,100
I I was the same way like after I gave
791
00:30:53,760 –> 00:30:58,740
birth to my daughter I was so bored
792
00:30:56,100 –> 00:31:00,960
because she had to go to NICU just
793
00:30:58,740 –> 00:31:02,820
because it was in the like right in the
794
00:31:00,960 –> 00:31:05,460
middle of covid and that’s what the
795
00:31:02,820 –> 00:31:07,919
hospital’s procedure was at the time I
796
00:31:05,460 –> 00:31:09,539
was so bored I was working but I own my
797
00:31:07,919 –> 00:31:12,899
own company so I think it’s a little bit
798
00:31:09,539 –> 00:31:16,020
different like but but I get that I get
799
00:31:12,899 –> 00:31:19,200
like being like Oh I just I literally
800
00:31:16,020 –> 00:31:23,840
just ripped my entire bottom open and
801
00:31:19,200 –> 00:31:28,140
here I am working here I am on my laptop
802
00:31:23,840 –> 00:31:30,260
yeah yeah no I guess and I I also really
803
00:31:28,140 –> 00:31:33,480
deeply identify with
804
00:31:30,260 –> 00:31:37,679
slowly becoming someone that you can’t
805
00:31:33,480 –> 00:31:39,960
recognize but also like your ego also
806
00:31:37,679 –> 00:31:42,899
taking over like knowing you can still
807
00:31:39,960 –> 00:31:45,360
do this knowing you know all of that
808
00:31:42,899 –> 00:31:48,179
like that was exactly what mine looked
809
00:31:45,360 –> 00:31:51,480
like mine was not nearly as as
810
00:31:48,179 –> 00:31:53,760
pronounced as yours was but I talk about
811
00:31:51,480 –> 00:31:54,320
it a lot I got like really bad skin
812
00:31:53,760 –> 00:31:55,860
infection
813
00:31:54,320 –> 00:31:58,020
[Music]
814
00:31:55,860 –> 00:32:01,340
um like on my face it looked like I was
815
00:31:58,020 –> 00:32:04,320
like like I had leprosy more or less
816
00:32:01,340 –> 00:32:07,919
yeah antibiotics for like two full
817
00:32:04,320 –> 00:32:10,740
months to just clear it so not nearly as
818
00:32:07,919 –> 00:32:13,500
Extreme as yours but I also got out a
819
00:32:10,740 –> 00:32:15,240
lot quicker I was smarter I was smarter
820
00:32:13,500 –> 00:32:17,820
when I was stuck in the cult for four
821
00:32:15,240 –> 00:32:19,980
years and I was there for like four
822
00:32:17,820 –> 00:32:22,380
months and I was like I’m out I was like
823
00:32:19,980 –> 00:32:24,299
[ __ ] this I’m out so back to your story
824
00:32:22,380 –> 00:32:26,279
so what was the final thing that
825
00:32:24,299 –> 00:32:29,940
happened that you first of all were you
826
00:32:26,279 –> 00:32:31,740
fired or did you leave no so I I left
827
00:32:29,940 –> 00:32:33,299
but not until like another year later
828
00:32:31,740 –> 00:32:36,380
after those after those first symptoms
829
00:32:33,299 –> 00:32:39,539
so the first symptoms starting January
830
00:32:36,380 –> 00:32:41,520
- as I said I was in and out of
831
00:32:39,539 –> 00:32:43,919
Hospital still working still doing all
832
00:32:41,520 –> 00:32:46,020
that stuff in the in the July
833
00:32:43,919 –> 00:32:47,820
um because of the high stress and again
834
00:32:46,020 –> 00:32:51,000
I think we like I have to make this
835
00:32:47,820 –> 00:32:54,120
point burnout is chronic stress right
836
00:32:51,000 –> 00:32:56,220
it’s chronic workplace stress so high
837
00:32:54,120 –> 00:32:58,860
levels of stress for very high periods
838
00:32:56,220 –> 00:33:02,340
of time we all know chronic stress can
839
00:32:58,860 –> 00:33:05,820
literally kill us right so
840
00:33:02,340 –> 00:33:08,880
um so I had uh physically the physical
841
00:33:05,820 –> 00:33:10,799
symptoms so I ended up having two
842
00:33:08,880 –> 00:33:14,279
different operations at two different
843
00:33:10,799 –> 00:33:18,000
hospitals in 48 hours in the July
844
00:33:14,279 –> 00:33:19,919
and whilst I was recovering from that I
845
00:33:18,000 –> 00:33:22,019
um you know had a holiday I had a family
846
00:33:19,919 –> 00:33:24,840
holiday did you know do kind of all that
847
00:33:22,019 –> 00:33:28,679
stuff but before I got on that holiday
848
00:33:24,840 –> 00:33:30,720
I was and again I I kind of pro I was
849
00:33:28,679 –> 00:33:32,760
proving my worth through whether I could
850
00:33:30,720 –> 00:33:34,860
still work right and after these
851
00:33:32,760 –> 00:33:36,659
operations I had a few days where I
852
00:33:34,860 –> 00:33:39,260
could not work my body particularly
853
00:33:36,659 –> 00:33:43,140
after like two anesthetics
854
00:33:39,260 –> 00:33:45,059
you’re just like yeah yeah you could
855
00:33:43,140 –> 00:33:46,559
just sleep absolutely my body’s just
856
00:33:45,059 –> 00:33:49,559
like not today
857
00:33:46,559 –> 00:33:52,519
uh and I was laying on the sofa like
858
00:33:49,559 –> 00:33:55,980
watching having watched mind numbing TV
859
00:33:52,519 –> 00:33:59,159
all day and my sons came home from
860
00:33:55,980 –> 00:34:03,059
school so I have it’s not my bag really
861
00:33:59,159 –> 00:34:05,039
not my bag but um I had I have twin Sons
862
00:34:03,059 –> 00:34:06,720
they were 12 at the time they came home
863
00:34:05,039 –> 00:34:11,159
from school and I think I must have
864
00:34:06,720 –> 00:34:14,580
looked terrible like terrible and my
865
00:34:11,159 –> 00:34:16,500
response to them was don’t worry I’m
866
00:34:14,580 –> 00:34:18,240
gonna be absolutely fine soon and I’m
867
00:34:16,500 –> 00:34:20,280
going to be back at work right because
868
00:34:18,240 –> 00:34:22,379
being back at work was the sign that I
869
00:34:20,280 –> 00:34:23,820
was okay and my son took one look at
870
00:34:22,379 –> 00:34:26,040
each other they’re 12 years old at the
871
00:34:23,820 –> 00:34:27,659
time took one look at each other sat on
872
00:34:26,040 –> 00:34:29,099
the coffee table in front of me and one
873
00:34:27,659 –> 00:34:30,359
of them said but mum we don’t want you
874
00:34:29,099 –> 00:34:32,839
to go back to work because your job is
875
00:34:30,359 –> 00:34:37,560
killing you whoa
876
00:34:32,839 –> 00:34:39,960
yeah yeah like that was say [ __ ] like
877
00:34:37,560 –> 00:34:42,599
when your 12 year olds look you in the
878
00:34:39,960 –> 00:34:45,679
eye yeah yeah when you’re 12 years no
879
00:34:42,599 –> 00:34:48,720
better than you and no better than you
880
00:34:45,679 –> 00:34:51,359
it’s like a watershed moment so was that
881
00:34:48,720 –> 00:34:54,300
your mom absolutely yeah that was my
882
00:34:51,359 –> 00:34:58,020
holy [ __ ] moment right something has to
883
00:34:54,300 –> 00:34:59,760
change what am I doing and it was then
884
00:34:58,020 –> 00:35:01,380
almost like all of the last seven months
885
00:34:59,760 –> 00:35:03,180
like my sons have been coming to visit
886
00:35:01,380 –> 00:35:04,560
me every time I was in hospital and
887
00:35:03,180 –> 00:35:06,000
they’d see me on my phone and they’d see
888
00:35:04,560 –> 00:35:07,380
me with my laptop and they’d see me not
889
00:35:06,000 –> 00:35:09,240
taking a day off they’d see me not be
890
00:35:07,380 –> 00:35:10,380
able to stand up they’d seen me not
891
00:35:09,240 –> 00:35:12,119
being able to get out of bed at a
892
00:35:10,380 –> 00:35:13,560
weekend they’d see me have to say no to
893
00:35:12,119 –> 00:35:15,240
some of their stuff
894
00:35:13,560 –> 00:35:16,079
and I’m still like where everything’s
895
00:35:15,240 –> 00:35:17,880
fine
896
00:35:16,079 –> 00:35:21,180
right literally everything’s fine
897
00:35:17,880 –> 00:35:23,099
and uh so that was kind of my Pinnacle
898
00:35:21,180 –> 00:35:25,320
like something has to change moment we
899
00:35:23,099 –> 00:35:26,880
then had gone we went on a on a lovely
900
00:35:25,320 –> 00:35:29,640
family holiday we had a couple of weeks
901
00:35:26,880 –> 00:35:31,680
off and I just then decided that I was
902
00:35:29,640 –> 00:35:34,200
going back into this workplace back into
903
00:35:31,680 –> 00:35:37,260
the office I was going to kick ass I was
904
00:35:34,200 –> 00:35:39,660
gonna be me and if they didn’t like it
905
00:35:37,260 –> 00:35:41,280
we weren’t you know things weren’t going
906
00:35:39,660 –> 00:35:43,440
to work out between me and me and the
907
00:35:41,280 –> 00:35:45,780
organization and I really kind of pulled
908
00:35:43,440 –> 00:35:48,000
myself together cut all my hair off like
909
00:35:45,780 –> 00:35:49,859
bleached it blonde like went back with
910
00:35:48,000 –> 00:35:51,480
the edgiest look ever I’m like right
911
00:35:49,859 –> 00:35:54,060
Kelly’s back right and I’ve you know
912
00:35:51,480 –> 00:35:57,060
kind of got my sass on and I walked in
913
00:35:54,060 –> 00:36:01,500
and I lasted uh so I’ve gone back in in
914
00:35:57,060 –> 00:36:04,560
the uh September by the January I had
915
00:36:01,500 –> 00:36:06,119
left started my own company and have
916
00:36:04,560 –> 00:36:08,520
never gone back into a corporate
917
00:36:06,119 –> 00:36:12,240
environment again and it was the best
918
00:36:08,520 –> 00:36:13,560
decision that I ever made the timing I
919
00:36:12,240 –> 00:36:16,140
think could have been better so at the
920
00:36:13,560 –> 00:36:19,380
time I mean my life looks nothing the
921
00:36:16,140 –> 00:36:20,760
same as as it did then but
922
00:36:19,380 –> 00:36:22,619
um so yeah you know I got my first
923
00:36:20,760 –> 00:36:25,200
clients like a couple of weeks in into
924
00:36:22,619 –> 00:36:26,339
starting my company but at the time I
925
00:36:25,200 –> 00:36:27,660
remember going home and saying to my
926
00:36:26,339 –> 00:36:29,280
husband I need to start my own company
927
00:36:27,660 –> 00:36:31,560
this is this is absolutely what I need
928
00:36:29,280 –> 00:36:33,420
to do and I was the main Breadwinner
929
00:36:31,560 –> 00:36:35,940
right I was the biggest salary earner we
930
00:36:33,420 –> 00:36:37,500
literally just spent every single of our
931
00:36:35,940 –> 00:36:39,480
last Pennies on kind of buying and
932
00:36:37,500 –> 00:36:42,359
renovating a house like we had no money
933
00:36:39,480 –> 00:36:45,000
in the bank at all
934
00:36:42,359 –> 00:36:47,160
um and he’s like we can’t do it like you
935
00:36:45,000 –> 00:36:48,480
need to keep working for two years and
936
00:36:47,160 –> 00:36:50,160
then if you still want to run your own
937
00:36:48,480 –> 00:36:53,099
business then you can do it and it was
938
00:36:50,160 –> 00:36:54,900
like not staying here uh and I left so I
939
00:36:53,099 –> 00:36:56,880
literally started my business like with
940
00:36:54,900 –> 00:36:59,400
no Financial cushion
941
00:36:56,880 –> 00:37:03,240
uh no money in the bank
942
00:36:59,400 –> 00:37:05,520
no client pipeline most of my network
943
00:37:03,240 –> 00:37:07,140
was in London as I said I live like 100
944
00:37:05,520 –> 00:37:08,520
miles away from there what was my
945
00:37:07,140 –> 00:37:11,040
business going to look like how was I
946
00:37:08,520 –> 00:37:12,780
going to do it and I started building it
947
00:37:11,040 –> 00:37:16,079
from scratch
948
00:37:12,780 –> 00:37:17,640
with literally nothing got my first
949
00:37:16,079 –> 00:37:20,160
client within a couple of weeks started
950
00:37:17,640 –> 00:37:22,380
to get some money in the bank
951
00:37:20,160 –> 00:37:24,839
um kept pushing kept struggling my
952
00:37:22,380 –> 00:37:26,820
husband and I separated or yeah
953
00:37:24,839 –> 00:37:28,320
separated kind of within a year of me
954
00:37:26,820 –> 00:37:33,839
starting my own business
955
00:37:28,320 –> 00:37:36,900
So within probably well within 12 months
956
00:37:33,839 –> 00:37:39,900
of those first physical symptoms taking
957
00:37:36,900 –> 00:37:42,240
over I had started a business left my
958
00:37:39,900 –> 00:37:44,520
husband moved house
959
00:37:42,240 –> 00:37:47,220
um started to grow a team like there was
960
00:37:44,520 –> 00:37:49,800
nothing that I hadn’t done and then kind
961
00:37:47,220 –> 00:37:51,540
of six months later burned out again can
962
00:37:49,800 –> 00:37:54,060
we just cause here for a second and
963
00:37:51,540 –> 00:37:55,920
remind people that if this podcast is
964
00:37:54,060 –> 00:37:57,660
something you enjoy we would love to
965
00:37:55,920 –> 00:37:59,880
hear from you you can find us on
966
00:37:57,660 –> 00:38:02,820
Instagram LinkedIn and YouTube at let’s
967
00:37:59,880 –> 00:38:04,859
break up toxic workplace stories sharing
968
00:38:02,820 –> 00:38:07,619
and subscribing really helps us feel
969
00:38:04,859 –> 00:38:09,900
validated it was like and what is this
970
00:38:07,619 –> 00:38:10,980
so wait I have two questions when you
971
00:38:09,900 –> 00:38:14,400
finally yeah
972
00:38:10,980 –> 00:38:17,640
the toxic place that gave you those
973
00:38:14,400 –> 00:38:19,740
terrible symptoms yeah did they did they
974
00:38:17,640 –> 00:38:21,599
cease almost immediately or was it like
975
00:38:19,740 –> 00:38:25,020
a tapering off
976
00:38:21,599 –> 00:38:27,599
of no I mean it took forever and
977
00:38:25,020 –> 00:38:29,760
for some of the conditions so my first
978
00:38:27,599 –> 00:38:32,160
well I can’t say whether it was it well
979
00:38:29,760 –> 00:38:34,320
the physical symptoms so uh particularly
980
00:38:32,160 –> 00:38:35,940
kind of digestive issues like lots of
981
00:38:34,320 –> 00:38:37,440
physical you know I’m carrying an awful
982
00:38:35,940 –> 00:38:40,200
lot of weight like it’s pretty much like
983
00:38:37,440 –> 00:38:41,579
my body just shut down after that first
984
00:38:40,200 –> 00:38:44,400
one it was just I’m not I’m not playing
985
00:38:41,579 –> 00:38:46,520
ball anymore so I live with kind of two
986
00:38:44,400 –> 00:38:48,720
fairly physical
987
00:38:46,520 –> 00:38:49,980
seriously physical
988
00:38:48,720 –> 00:38:52,560
um kind of health conditions which I
989
00:38:49,980 –> 00:38:55,680
which I manage okay
990
00:38:52,560 –> 00:38:57,540
um but I I get I wasn’t managing them
991
00:38:55,680 –> 00:38:59,099
properly because I think at the time I
992
00:38:57,540 –> 00:39:02,480
just thought it would go away now I’m
993
00:38:59,099 –> 00:39:04,740
out of there right right
994
00:39:02,480 –> 00:39:07,380
yeah yeah everything will get better
995
00:39:04,740 –> 00:39:08,640
there’s nothing I need to do and when
996
00:39:07,380 –> 00:39:09,839
you’re running your own business but
997
00:39:08,640 –> 00:39:11,460
particularly when you’re starting your
998
00:39:09,839 –> 00:39:14,540
own business right oh my God you’re
999
00:39:11,460 –> 00:39:14,540
going 24 7.
1000
00:39:17,599 –> 00:39:23,220
yeah literally it is 24 7. because you
1001
00:39:22,079 –> 00:39:24,480
need to find the clients you need to
1002
00:39:23,220 –> 00:39:26,760
keep the money in the bank you’ve got to
1003
00:39:24,480 –> 00:39:28,020
do the marketing the admin the accounts
1004
00:39:26,760 –> 00:39:29,520
right you’ve got to be doing all of that
1005
00:39:28,020 –> 00:39:30,480
stuff and I was loving doing what I was
1006
00:39:29,520 –> 00:39:32,400
doing right I was doing it for myself
1007
00:39:30,480 –> 00:39:34,020
this was this was my turn around so
1008
00:39:32,400 –> 00:39:36,599
really really doing all of that but I
1009
00:39:34,020 –> 00:39:38,520
got a phone call three months into
1010
00:39:36,599 –> 00:39:40,859
starting my business
1011
00:39:38,520 –> 00:39:42,540
to say that my Replacements are the
1012
00:39:40,859 –> 00:39:44,640
replacement HR director that have been
1013
00:39:42,540 –> 00:39:48,480
taken in to replace me there’s no word
1014
00:39:44,640 –> 00:39:50,820
of a lie she had died what whilst away
1015
00:39:48,480 –> 00:39:53,220
on a leadership residential right so on
1016
00:39:50,820 –> 00:39:56,760
a leadership residential
1017
00:39:53,220 –> 00:40:01,200
she was uh early 50s
1018
00:39:56,760 –> 00:40:04,140
okay so not as young and she had died no
1019
00:40:01,200 –> 00:40:06,000
she’s 20 years older than me okay but
1020
00:40:04,140 –> 00:40:08,280
she died in her sleep whilst awareness
1021
00:40:06,000 –> 00:40:11,099
leadership residential and I then rang
1022
00:40:08,280 –> 00:40:12,780
another contact of mine who had left the
1023
00:40:11,099 –> 00:40:14,359
organization not long after I started
1024
00:40:12,780 –> 00:40:17,579
but he and I had stayed in contact
1025
00:40:14,359 –> 00:40:20,820
because I’d never asked nobody had ever
1026
00:40:17,579 –> 00:40:25,560
really told me stupidly
1027
00:40:20,820 –> 00:40:27,420
why my job role was recruited right I
1028
00:40:25,560 –> 00:40:29,160
just been told the hrd is left to go go
1029
00:40:27,420 –> 00:40:32,099
and do something else yeah why was there
1030
00:40:29,160 –> 00:40:34,500
at that point yeah at that point I
1031
00:40:32,099 –> 00:40:36,660
started digging there were three I was
1032
00:40:34,500 –> 00:40:39,119
the third HR Director to because
1033
00:40:36,660 –> 00:40:41,760
seriously ill in that organization
1034
00:40:39,119 –> 00:40:44,040
and my replacement then dies whilst away
1035
00:40:41,760 –> 00:40:45,900
at a leadership residential so then I’m
1036
00:40:44,040 –> 00:40:48,780
like alarm Bells right because I came
1037
00:40:45,900 –> 00:40:50,099
out of that and part of me was still I
1038
00:40:48,780 –> 00:40:52,800
clearly I must have been out because I
1039
00:40:50,099 –> 00:40:54,720
wasn’t good enough at the job I was I
1040
00:40:52,800 –> 00:40:57,119
was a failure it was the wrong company
1041
00:40:54,720 –> 00:40:58,740
so I started you’re internalizing all of
1042
00:40:57,119 –> 00:41:01,440
that stuff as well which I now know to
1043
00:40:58,740 –> 00:41:03,000
be absolute rubbish I’m absolutely
1044
00:41:01,440 –> 00:41:04,260
amazing and I was amazing and it was
1045
00:41:03,000 –> 00:41:06,359
just you know it was the organization
1046
00:41:04,260 –> 00:41:08,220
and lots of you know a few other things
1047
00:41:06,359 –> 00:41:09,540
but it wasn’t that I failed it wasn’t
1048
00:41:08,220 –> 00:41:12,900
that I wasn’t good enough at my job
1049
00:41:09,540 –> 00:41:14,400
agree yep and so kind of three months
1050
00:41:12,900 –> 00:41:15,960
into starting my own business that’s
1051
00:41:14,400 –> 00:41:18,839
when I really wanted to get under the
1052
00:41:15,960 –> 00:41:21,420
skin of burnout and stress and I started
1053
00:41:18,839 –> 00:41:22,980
doing courses and training so in
1054
00:41:21,420 –> 00:41:24,900
addition to the qualifications that I
1055
00:41:22,980 –> 00:41:27,300
already had that was really when I
1056
00:41:24,900 –> 00:41:29,280
started to study neuroscience and
1057
00:41:27,300 –> 00:41:30,780
hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy and
1058
00:41:29,280 –> 00:41:32,400
understand stress are the impact to
1059
00:41:30,780 –> 00:41:35,339
stress on the body and I started
1060
00:41:32,400 –> 00:41:37,140
studying yoga and ayurveda and all of
1061
00:41:35,339 –> 00:41:39,060
these things
1062
00:41:37,140 –> 00:41:40,079
because I wanted to ensure that nobody
1063
00:41:39,060 –> 00:41:41,640
else was ever going to go through
1064
00:41:40,079 –> 00:41:43,740
burnout again
1065
00:41:41,640 –> 00:41:46,380
right and then yeah within kind of 18
1066
00:41:43,740 –> 00:41:49,320
months I’ve been out again
1067
00:41:46,380 –> 00:41:52,859
so okay I genuinely thought I was doing
1068
00:41:49,320 –> 00:41:54,380
the right thing yeah my question is did
1069
00:41:52,859 –> 00:41:57,300
this burn out
1070
00:41:54,380 –> 00:41:59,220
resemble the corporate because now
1071
00:41:57,300 –> 00:42:00,780
you’re working for yourself so it is
1072
00:41:59,220 –> 00:42:03,000
Corporate but it’s slightly different
1073
00:42:00,780 –> 00:42:05,220
like even though I have a company and I
1074
00:42:03,000 –> 00:42:08,280
have people working for me I don’t
1075
00:42:05,220 –> 00:42:11,040
consider it a corporate setting yeah
1076
00:42:08,280 –> 00:42:14,280
like more creative anyway in what we do
1077
00:42:11,040 –> 00:42:15,300
but we’re working with huge companies
1078
00:42:14,280 –> 00:42:18,180
um so
1079
00:42:15,300 –> 00:42:20,579
did this burnout look different than the
1080
00:42:18,180 –> 00:42:24,300
corporate burnout
1081
00:42:20,579 –> 00:42:27,599
yes yeah okay it was much more
1082
00:42:24,300 –> 00:42:30,300
it was much more emotional and I think
1083
00:42:27,599 –> 00:42:32,280
it it like it sucks the life out of me
1084
00:42:30,300 –> 00:42:34,380
immediately so I think the first time
1085
00:42:32,280 –> 00:42:36,140
around whilst I was dealing with these
1086
00:42:34,380 –> 00:42:39,540
physical symptoms
1087
00:42:36,140 –> 00:42:41,520
if you’d have said to me
1088
00:42:39,540 –> 00:42:43,560
like you’ve got to stop I would have
1089
00:42:41,520 –> 00:42:45,240
told you I could just keep on going
1090
00:42:43,560 –> 00:42:47,400
and I did keep on going right I was
1091
00:42:45,240 –> 00:42:52,079
working from a hospital bed like I kept
1092
00:42:47,400 –> 00:42:54,119
on going the second time it was like
1093
00:42:52,079 –> 00:42:57,060
somebody had turned the lights off
1094
00:42:54,119 –> 00:42:58,560
right like you can’t move I was
1095
00:42:57,060 –> 00:43:00,540
struggling to get out of bed I was
1096
00:42:58,560 –> 00:43:03,000
struggling to pull a sentence together I
1097
00:43:00,540 –> 00:43:06,619
was struggling to have a conversation my
1098
00:43:03,000 –> 00:43:09,180
entire body just felt like a dead weight
1099
00:43:06,619 –> 00:43:12,000
like literally like someone had turned
1100
00:43:09,180 –> 00:43:14,040
the lights off and it was just like I
1101
00:43:12,000 –> 00:43:15,240
just kind of I just got like I had no
1102
00:43:14,040 –> 00:43:18,540
strength
1103
00:43:15,240 –> 00:43:21,300
I had no energy picking up a glass of
1104
00:43:18,540 –> 00:43:23,400
water was too heavy
1105
00:43:21,300 –> 00:43:26,280
so and this was somebody that had been
1106
00:43:23,400 –> 00:43:28,380
like fit I say fit and healthy until
1107
00:43:26,280 –> 00:43:30,359
until bed at number one right but I was
1108
00:43:28,380 –> 00:43:32,520
still doing my exercise my yoga my
1109
00:43:30,359 –> 00:43:35,220
weights my cycling I’m still doing all
1110
00:43:32,520 –> 00:43:37,319
of that stuff but my literally picking
1111
00:43:35,220 –> 00:43:39,359
up a glass of water became too heavy and
1112
00:43:37,319 –> 00:43:41,640
I just I just shut down
1113
00:43:39,359 –> 00:43:42,780
so do you think any of that might have
1114
00:43:41,640 –> 00:43:46,079
been
1115
00:43:42,780 –> 00:43:49,619
either clinical depression
1116
00:43:46,079 –> 00:43:52,440
and or like a second wave from the
1117
00:43:49,619 –> 00:43:55,380
original burnout I think a bit both if
1118
00:43:52,440 –> 00:43:57,599
I’m honest and a number two so I was
1119
00:43:55,380 –> 00:43:59,819
then diagnosed with bipolar in 2018.
1120
00:43:57,599 –> 00:44:02,700
whilst nobody can say to me where that
1121
00:43:59,819 –> 00:44:04,020
came from the belief is that two
1122
00:44:02,700 –> 00:44:07,140
burnouts in really really quick
1123
00:44:04,020 –> 00:44:09,720
succession definitely contributed to it
1124
00:44:07,140 –> 00:44:12,060
so I do think it was a bit of both I did
1125
00:44:09,720 –> 00:44:14,160
and I’ve written about this and talked
1126
00:44:12,060 –> 00:44:17,579
about this quite a lot I think
1127
00:44:14,160 –> 00:44:19,800
I assumed that I had recovered from
1128
00:44:17,579 –> 00:44:22,200
burnout number one
1129
00:44:19,800 –> 00:44:24,359
by learning all the things that I needed
1130
00:44:22,200 –> 00:44:26,099
to know about burnout and ensuring that
1131
00:44:24,359 –> 00:44:29,160
I was helping everybody else not do it
1132
00:44:26,099 –> 00:44:31,560
and like I was probably doing like
1133
00:44:29,160 –> 00:44:32,760
20 things a day right to make sure that
1134
00:44:31,560 –> 00:44:34,319
I didn’t burn out again right got to
1135
00:44:32,760 –> 00:44:36,060
keep my stress levels low so I’ve got 20
1136
00:44:34,319 –> 00:44:39,240
things as long as I tick these 20 things
1137
00:44:36,060 –> 00:44:40,800
off this is how I’m gonna reduce this is
1138
00:44:39,240 –> 00:44:42,720
how I’m going to do all this so I can
1139
00:44:40,800 –> 00:44:45,359
give you burnout from trying not to be
1140
00:44:42,720 –> 00:44:46,740
burned out absolutely absolutely and
1141
00:44:45,359 –> 00:44:49,020
that’s exactly what it did but I
1142
00:44:46,740 –> 00:44:50,940
genuinely thought this is where it is
1143
00:44:49,020 –> 00:44:52,560
but I had told myself I had recovered
1144
00:44:50,940 –> 00:44:55,380
from my first burnout
1145
00:44:52,560 –> 00:44:57,420
the second burnout
1146
00:44:55,380 –> 00:45:00,300
and I I talk about this this difference
1147
00:44:57,420 –> 00:45:01,740
quite a lot the second one I really it
1148
00:45:00,300 –> 00:45:07,020
wasn’t just a case if I needed to
1149
00:45:01,740 –> 00:45:09,060
recover from I had to heal from it and
1150
00:45:07,020 –> 00:45:10,619
the healing needed to be an inside job
1151
00:45:09,060 –> 00:45:13,140
like there was a lot of interest like
1152
00:45:10,619 –> 00:45:14,940
there was no longer looking out looked
1153
00:45:13,140 –> 00:45:17,819
like looking outwards and like give me
1154
00:45:14,940 –> 00:45:20,880
the textbook answer on how to avoid
1155
00:45:17,819 –> 00:45:23,940
burnout and reduce my stress the second
1156
00:45:20,880 –> 00:45:25,859
burnout meant a lot of introspection a
1157
00:45:23,940 –> 00:45:28,619
lot of inward looking a lot of
1158
00:45:25,859 –> 00:45:31,619
self-discovery and self-exploration and
1159
00:45:28,619 –> 00:45:33,300
a lot of unlearning and relearning and a
1160
00:45:31,619 –> 00:45:36,960
lot of change
1161
00:45:33,300 –> 00:45:38,520
in order to allow me to heal from it and
1162
00:45:36,960 –> 00:45:40,680
I know that I will never ever go back to
1163
00:45:38,520 –> 00:45:43,980
that point again like never I’m curious
1164
00:45:40,680 –> 00:45:45,480
to know like how do you identify the
1165
00:45:43,980 –> 00:45:47,240
symptoms if you’re coming up for Burnout
1166
00:45:45,480 –> 00:45:50,040
number four like how do you now know
1167
00:45:47,240 –> 00:45:52,020
what to look out for and the flags
1168
00:45:50,040 –> 00:45:53,819
you’re looking for before you get to
1169
00:45:52,020 –> 00:45:56,579
that point
1170
00:45:53,819 –> 00:45:58,200
so I’m I’m so I’m too bad now so I hope
1171
00:45:56,579 –> 00:46:02,040
they’ll never ever get to the third but
1172
00:45:58,200 –> 00:46:03,420
I think the symptoms can be very I think
1173
00:46:02,040 –> 00:46:05,460
very similar and very similar for
1174
00:46:03,420 –> 00:46:08,099
everybody I think if I get to the point
1175
00:46:05,460 –> 00:46:09,960
so some of them are behavioral some of
1176
00:46:08,099 –> 00:46:12,359
them are physical
1177
00:46:09,960 –> 00:46:14,819
some of them really are kind of mental
1178
00:46:12,359 –> 00:46:16,800
so I think we can
1179
00:46:14,819 –> 00:46:18,540
um we can start to get headaches right
1180
00:46:16,800 –> 00:46:21,060
so headaches
1181
00:46:18,540 –> 00:46:22,560
um digestive issues so we start to
1182
00:46:21,060 –> 00:46:24,839
develop intolerances for food we’re
1183
00:46:22,560 –> 00:46:26,520
overeating or we’re under eating more
1184
00:46:24,839 –> 00:46:28,140
more Foods start to disagree with us
1185
00:46:26,520 –> 00:46:30,000
more headaches
1186
00:46:28,140 –> 00:46:33,420
um our sleep starts to go out the window
1187
00:46:30,000 –> 00:46:35,220
our anxiety can increase we can start to
1188
00:46:33,420 –> 00:46:36,480
feel depressed
1189
00:46:35,220 –> 00:46:38,640
um so depression can definitely
1190
00:46:36,480 –> 00:46:40,079
definitely creep in so I think they are
1191
00:46:38,640 –> 00:46:43,380
some of those things
1192
00:46:40,079 –> 00:46:45,540
I then think there is this need to
1193
00:46:43,380 –> 00:46:48,359
perfect everything right you’ve got to
1194
00:46:45,540 –> 00:46:50,160
be perfect if that if that kind of you
1195
00:46:48,359 –> 00:46:52,260
have to do this perfectly Creeps in for
1196
00:46:50,160 –> 00:46:53,460
me that’s a trigger that something needs
1197
00:46:52,260 –> 00:46:55,560
to change
1198
00:46:53,460 –> 00:46:57,619
but I think the biggest there were two
1199
00:46:55,560 –> 00:47:00,420
of the biggest things the first is
1200
00:46:57,619 –> 00:47:02,640
withdrawing from the things that you
1201
00:47:00,420 –> 00:47:05,040
know about like are the are the best
1202
00:47:02,640 –> 00:47:06,420
things for you right if I if I want to
1203
00:47:05,040 –> 00:47:09,240
withdraw
1204
00:47:06,420 –> 00:47:10,920
from say my yoga that for me is a sign
1205
00:47:09,240 –> 00:47:12,660
that something is wrong if I want to
1206
00:47:10,920 –> 00:47:14,520
withdraw from spending time with my
1207
00:47:12,660 –> 00:47:16,260
family or friends that for me is a sign
1208
00:47:14,520 –> 00:47:18,599
that something is wrong so withdrawing
1209
00:47:16,260 –> 00:47:21,900
from the things that we know Lift us up
1210
00:47:18,599 –> 00:47:25,079
and give us energy but I think also the
1211
00:47:21,900 –> 00:47:27,180
need to be overworking over performing
1212
00:47:25,079 –> 00:47:29,220
and over delivering and I don’t mean
1213
00:47:27,180 –> 00:47:30,660
just like I want to do a really great
1214
00:47:29,220 –> 00:47:32,520
job on this so I’m going to do a couple
1215
00:47:30,660 –> 00:47:33,960
of extra hours today or I’ve got a
1216
00:47:32,520 –> 00:47:36,420
deadline to hit so I’m going to do a
1217
00:47:33,960 –> 00:47:39,720
couple of extra hours a day but I mean
1218
00:47:36,420 –> 00:47:42,660
the overwhelming feeling that I have to
1219
00:47:39,720 –> 00:47:44,520
push I have to deliver I have to make
1220
00:47:42,660 –> 00:47:46,980
this perfect I have to keep going like
1221
00:47:44,520 –> 00:47:48,599
that for me is a real now a Telltale
1222
00:47:46,980 –> 00:47:51,060
sign because that’s being driven by fear
1223
00:47:48,599 –> 00:47:52,800
the fear is causing that stress response
1224
00:47:51,060 –> 00:47:55,260
and that stress response is basically
1225
00:47:52,800 –> 00:47:56,760
telling me it is not safe for you to
1226
00:47:55,260 –> 00:48:00,720
stop
1227
00:47:56,760 –> 00:48:03,740
so for me like it’s my daughter’s gonna
1228
00:48:00,720 –> 00:48:07,740
be three so it’s kind of been this
1229
00:48:03,740 –> 00:48:09,420
ongoing thing of when I’m working I’m
1230
00:48:07,740 –> 00:48:11,460
like I’m a shitty mom because I’m not
1231
00:48:09,420 –> 00:48:14,520
with my daughter like
1232
00:48:11,460 –> 00:48:15,740
you know I I I feel like not spending
1233
00:48:14,520 –> 00:48:18,780
enough time with her
1234
00:48:15,740 –> 00:48:20,280
yeah and then when I’m with her I’m like
1235
00:48:18,780 –> 00:48:23,700
I didn’t do enough today I wasn’t
1236
00:48:20,280 –> 00:48:28,140
productive enough I can never win but I
1237
00:48:23,700 –> 00:48:30,480
do think that hustle culture that was so
1238
00:48:28,140 –> 00:48:33,839
prevalent like in the late 90s early
1239
00:48:30,480 –> 00:48:37,200
2000s really did everyone a disservice
1240
00:48:33,839 –> 00:48:41,040
because the new generation is much more
1241
00:48:37,200 –> 00:48:43,740
involved in a work-life balance I and
1242
00:48:41,040 –> 00:48:45,960
and it’s even like doubly harder for
1243
00:48:43,740 –> 00:48:48,599
someone like myself and if I would
1244
00:48:45,960 –> 00:48:51,300
venture to guess also you who who are
1245
00:48:48,599 –> 00:48:53,339
overachievers and who have started their
1246
00:48:51,300 –> 00:48:55,079
business from scratch with nothing in
1247
00:48:53,339 –> 00:48:58,020
the bank not sure how you were going to
1248
00:48:55,079 –> 00:49:01,560
pay your rent or feed yourself and
1249
00:48:58,020 –> 00:49:04,740
you’re and I think partially that that
1250
00:49:01,560 –> 00:49:07,140
helped me to be successful so early on
1251
00:49:04,740 –> 00:49:09,720
because I had no other choice but I
1252
00:49:07,140 –> 00:49:12,960
think for people like us
1253
00:49:09,720 –> 00:49:15,839
the burnout is
1254
00:49:12,960 –> 00:49:19,980
might happen quicker right because it’s
1255
00:49:15,839 –> 00:49:22,200
like we’re constantly working we’re for
1256
00:49:19,980 –> 00:49:24,240
me the more I work the more money I can
1257
00:49:22,200 –> 00:49:26,220
potentially make
1258
00:49:24,240 –> 00:49:28,619
um yeah so do you have any suggestions
1259
00:49:26,220 –> 00:49:30,960
for people you know who might be
1260
00:49:28,619 –> 00:49:34,140
self-employed or who own their own
1261
00:49:30,960 –> 00:49:37,260
business or entrepreneurial in nature
1262
00:49:34,140 –> 00:49:38,880
um how to avoid burnout you’ve got to
1263
00:49:37,260 –> 00:49:41,160
put the boundaries in place
1264
00:49:38,880 –> 00:49:42,180
um I I know I can absolutely relate to
1265
00:49:41,160 –> 00:49:46,380
what you’re saying about that kind of
1266
00:49:42,180 –> 00:49:48,540
mum Gill I do and I’m I’m gonna say I do
1267
00:49:46,380 –> 00:49:50,579
not believe I don’t believe at all in
1268
00:49:48,540 –> 00:49:53,339
work-life Balance I think it is a
1269
00:49:50,579 –> 00:49:55,800
complete myth and like you were saying
1270
00:49:53,339 –> 00:49:57,920
from that kind of hustle culture I think
1271
00:49:55,800 –> 00:50:00,540
absolutely right and I can remember
1272
00:49:57,920 –> 00:50:02,520
I mean I think I probably came out of
1273
00:50:00,540 –> 00:50:03,260
the womb as an overachiever
1274
00:50:02,520 –> 00:50:05,400
um
1275
00:50:03,260 –> 00:50:06,900
like literally right I was overachieving
1276
00:50:05,400 –> 00:50:09,240
at school I was moved up a year at
1277
00:50:06,900 –> 00:50:11,460
school like you know kind of all of this
1278
00:50:09,240 –> 00:50:13,940
stuff and and so I think part of that
1279
00:50:11,460 –> 00:50:15,900
was was just in my nature but also
1280
00:50:13,940 –> 00:50:17,640
throughout school I mean I can remember
1281
00:50:15,900 –> 00:50:18,720
being you know maybe three or four and
1282
00:50:17,640 –> 00:50:20,400
being asked for you know what do you
1283
00:50:18,720 –> 00:50:21,660
want to be when you grow up right what
1284
00:50:20,400 –> 00:50:23,760
do you want to be what do you want to do
1285
00:50:21,660 –> 00:50:25,859
I can remember looking at some of the
1286
00:50:23,760 –> 00:50:27,599
most expensive houses as a teenager in
1287
00:50:25,859 –> 00:50:29,700
you know the Sunday paper that my mum
1288
00:50:27,599 –> 00:50:31,980
and dad used to get and like millions of
1289
00:50:29,700 –> 00:50:33,599
pounds like people don’t you know people
1290
00:50:31,980 –> 00:50:35,460
like us don’t get houses like that and
1291
00:50:33,599 –> 00:50:36,960
it was like well I’ll show you you know
1292
00:50:35,460 –> 00:50:38,339
and it was kind of you know I’m gonna
1293
00:50:36,960 –> 00:50:40,319
make this happen I’m absolutely gonna
1294
00:50:38,339 –> 00:50:42,060
make this happen and I think wait did
1295
00:50:40,319 –> 00:50:44,940
did you make it happen did you get one
1296
00:50:42,060 –> 00:50:46,859
of those huge homes yeah I had the house
1297
00:50:44,940 –> 00:50:48,359
I had the sports car I had the huge car
1298
00:50:46,859 –> 00:50:49,740
I had the all-inclusive holidays I had
1299
00:50:48,359 –> 00:50:51,240
the red sold cheese the really expensive
1300
00:50:49,740 –> 00:50:53,480
and but like I had it all absolutely had
1301
00:50:51,240 –> 00:50:53,480
it all
1302
00:50:57,380 –> 00:51:03,300
looking back on looking back
1303
00:51:00,240 –> 00:51:04,980
um casting my mind back to the day I
1304
00:51:03,300 –> 00:51:07,079
think the best yeah
1305
00:51:04,980 –> 00:51:08,640
um my mother gave me now my keeping in
1306
00:51:07,079 –> 00:51:10,680
mind my mother was a narcissist so my
1307
00:51:08,640 –> 00:51:13,680
value was built on perfectionism and
1308
00:51:10,680 –> 00:51:16,200
performance and and now as an adult my
1309
00:51:13,680 –> 00:51:19,619
value is delivered on Perfection and
1310
00:51:16,200 –> 00:51:22,559
performance so I am primed for a burnout
1311
00:51:19,619 –> 00:51:25,559
I am just ripe for the picking but one
1312
00:51:22,559 –> 00:51:27,540
of the one gifts she gave me was when I
1313
00:51:25,559 –> 00:51:30,000
was heading into University people were
1314
00:51:27,540 –> 00:51:31,319
constantly going what do you want to be
1315
00:51:30,000 –> 00:51:33,359
what do you want to do what do you want
1316
00:51:31,319 –> 00:51:36,420
to be and she said to me
1317
00:51:33,359 –> 00:51:37,920
I don’t care what you take in your first
1318
00:51:36,420 –> 00:51:39,720
year of University you have to go to
1319
00:51:37,920 –> 00:51:41,700
university that’s the only prerequisite
1320
00:51:39,720 –> 00:51:43,380
doesn’t matter what you take you can
1321
00:51:41,700 –> 00:51:46,020
take any subjects you want you can fail
1322
00:51:43,380 –> 00:51:48,300
any subjects you want consider this a
1323
00:51:46,020 –> 00:51:51,480
work out your ship year
1324
00:51:48,300 –> 00:51:54,000
and I did and it was the best gift she
1325
00:51:51,480 –> 00:51:55,260
ever gave me granted I wasn’t allowed to
1326
00:51:54,000 –> 00:51:57,900
do creative subjects because those
1327
00:51:55,260 –> 00:52:00,780
weren’t real jobs you know it’s I find
1328
00:51:57,900 –> 00:52:02,640
that we I think you know look looking at
1329
00:52:00,780 –> 00:52:04,500
that I think we need to start changing
1330
00:52:02,640 –> 00:52:05,760
the narrative for our kids as well where
1331
00:52:04,500 –> 00:52:09,119
it’s like what do you want to be when
1332
00:52:05,760 –> 00:52:12,180
you grow up why are we there’s so many
1333
00:52:09,119 –> 00:52:15,180
job roles these days and I think the
1334
00:52:12,180 –> 00:52:16,579
impact of them seeing that we are
1335
00:52:15,180 –> 00:52:19,619
responsible with our time management
1336
00:52:16,579 –> 00:52:22,020
that we are responsible with our work
1337
00:52:19,619 –> 00:52:25,440
life balance that we are responsible
1338
00:52:22,020 –> 00:52:28,859
with sharing information and being
1339
00:52:25,440 –> 00:52:30,839
better leaders I think that’s that’s the
1340
00:52:28,859 –> 00:52:31,920
lessons we need to give rather than what
1341
00:52:30,839 –> 00:52:34,020
do you want to be when you grow up
1342
00:52:31,920 –> 00:52:35,520
absolutely and I think encouraging like
1343
00:52:34,020 –> 00:52:36,960
do what makes you happy right do what
1344
00:52:35,520 –> 00:52:38,339
makes your heart I know I don’t know we
1345
00:52:36,960 –> 00:52:40,440
talk about it you know and then it’s
1346
00:52:38,339 –> 00:52:42,359
like snowflakes and all that kind of
1347
00:52:40,440 –> 00:52:43,619
stuff but I literally like do the stuff
1348
00:52:42,359 –> 00:52:44,940
that makes you happy and I do think that
1349
00:52:43,619 –> 00:52:47,099
you know the fact that I reach such
1350
00:52:44,940 –> 00:52:48,680
critical burnout when my sons were 12
1351
00:52:47,099 –> 00:52:51,599
really
1352
00:52:48,680 –> 00:52:53,160
helped me to look at how I was teaching
1353
00:52:51,599 –> 00:52:54,780
my sons how I was educating my sons
1354
00:52:53,160 –> 00:52:56,339
because I’d gone back to work when they
1355
00:52:54,780 –> 00:52:58,079
were four months old
1356
00:52:56,339 –> 00:53:00,480
um you know having having them when they
1357
00:52:58,079 –> 00:53:01,619
were born and I went back with the
1358
00:53:00,480 –> 00:53:02,760
mentality you know I’ve gone back full
1359
00:53:01,619 –> 00:53:04,319
time when they were four months old with
1360
00:53:02,760 –> 00:53:06,359
the mentality of I’m going to show my
1361
00:53:04,319 –> 00:53:07,619
sons that you have to work hard for
1362
00:53:06,359 –> 00:53:09,180
whatever you want right if you want the
1363
00:53:07,619 –> 00:53:10,140
big house you’ve got a card for it if
1364
00:53:09,180 –> 00:53:12,119
you want the all-inclusive holidays
1365
00:53:10,140 –> 00:53:13,680
you’ve got to work hard for it and to
1366
00:53:12,119 –> 00:53:15,599
burn out when my sons were 12 actually
1367
00:53:13,680 –> 00:53:17,640
what I’d shown them was
1368
00:53:15,599 –> 00:53:19,859
working hard can you know can quite
1369
00:53:17,640 –> 00:53:21,260
literally kill you uh but go do it
1370
00:53:19,859 –> 00:53:23,900
anyway right
1371
00:53:21,260 –> 00:53:28,079
and you’ve prioritized
1372
00:53:23,900 –> 00:53:29,819
right I have said I am prepared to work
1373
00:53:28,079 –> 00:53:31,500
from my hospital bed rather than look
1374
00:53:29,819 –> 00:53:32,880
after myself because my work is more
1375
00:53:31,500 –> 00:53:35,339
important than being there for my family
1376
00:53:32,880 –> 00:53:37,559
that’s what I was that’s basically what
1377
00:53:35,339 –> 00:53:39,359
I what I was showing them so I think
1378
00:53:37,559 –> 00:53:41,700
from the from the guilt perspective and
1379
00:53:39,359 –> 00:53:43,200
the burnout perspective I think and you
1380
00:53:41,700 –> 00:53:45,059
and you touched on it Gina with what you
1381
00:53:43,200 –> 00:53:48,480
were saying like your struggle to be
1382
00:53:45,059 –> 00:53:50,099
present like for me scrap scrap balance
1383
00:53:48,480 –> 00:53:51,960
right you’re never going to find balance
1384
00:53:50,099 –> 00:53:54,960
and particularly if you are running your
1385
00:53:51,960 –> 00:53:57,420
own business when it is literally if I
1386
00:53:54,960 –> 00:53:59,760
do not get a client and I cannot put
1387
00:53:57,420 –> 00:54:02,280
food on the table this month that is a
1388
00:53:59,760 –> 00:54:04,260
huge like that’s a huge responsibility
1389
00:54:02,280 –> 00:54:06,359
right you haven’t got a big stress the
1390
00:54:04,260 –> 00:54:10,380
safe salary you haven’t got all of that
1391
00:54:06,359 –> 00:54:12,540
stuff but if you can be present
1392
00:54:10,380 –> 00:54:14,099
in whatever it is that you are doing so
1393
00:54:12,540 –> 00:54:15,480
if you are present when you are at work
1394
00:54:14,099 –> 00:54:18,660
and then you are present when you are
1395
00:54:15,480 –> 00:54:20,880
with your daughter being present I
1396
00:54:18,660 –> 00:54:24,059
believe is how you create the balance
1397
00:54:20,880 –> 00:54:26,460
right and I think as business owners
1398
00:54:24,059 –> 00:54:28,619
it’s that that we need to do right when
1399
00:54:26,460 –> 00:54:29,940
I’m at work I’m at work when I’m with my
1400
00:54:28,619 –> 00:54:31,680
daughter when I’m with my sons when I’m
1401
00:54:29,940 –> 00:54:34,440
with my partner whoever it is we may be
1402
00:54:31,680 –> 00:54:36,839
then I’m like I’m fully in it right you
1403
00:54:34,440 –> 00:54:40,200
have my undivided attention for however
1404
00:54:36,839 –> 00:54:43,260
long and set that as a boundary because
1405
00:54:40,200 –> 00:54:44,640
it can be so easy as a business owner to
1406
00:54:43,260 –> 00:54:45,900
you know you start having dinner with a
1407
00:54:44,640 –> 00:54:47,579
family you know you’ve got your phone
1408
00:54:45,900 –> 00:54:49,079
checking your phone checking your emails
1409
00:54:47,579 –> 00:54:51,300
doing and you know and everybody right
1410
00:54:49,079 –> 00:54:52,319
like hello I’m like I’m here and I
1411
00:54:51,300 –> 00:54:54,000
matter
1412
00:54:52,319 –> 00:54:55,800
like can’t we even have dinner without
1413
00:54:54,000 –> 00:54:57,660
you checking your emails or taking a
1414
00:54:55,800 –> 00:54:58,980
call or or doing whatever and then the
1415
00:54:57,660 –> 00:55:01,319
people around you start to feel
1416
00:54:58,980 –> 00:55:03,420
resentful and whilst you’re telling them
1417
00:55:01,319 –> 00:55:05,400
that I’m doing all of this to create a
1418
00:55:03,420 –> 00:55:06,780
brilliant life for you and for us they
1419
00:55:05,400 –> 00:55:08,579
don’t care they’re like I don’t I don’t
1420
00:55:06,780 –> 00:55:10,740
want the money you know I don’t want the
1421
00:55:08,579 –> 00:55:13,920
house I don’t want whatever I just want
1422
00:55:10,740 –> 00:55:15,780
you right I want you as my mum or my
1423
00:55:13,920 –> 00:55:17,180
wife or my daughter or whoever like I
1424
00:55:15,780 –> 00:55:19,859
don’t know who I won
1425
00:55:17,180 –> 00:55:21,300
but that’s the thing like they’re
1426
00:55:19,859 –> 00:55:22,800
looking at you and again I can remember
1427
00:55:21,300 –> 00:55:24,900
having the conversations with my sons
1428
00:55:22,800 –> 00:55:26,760
like if I slow down
1429
00:55:24,900 –> 00:55:28,319
you can’t get the Christmas presents you
1430
00:55:26,760 –> 00:55:29,640
can’t have the holiday we can’t stay in
1431
00:55:28,319 –> 00:55:31,200
this house we can’t have this because
1432
00:55:29,640 –> 00:55:33,119
they’re like mum we don’t care and my
1433
00:55:31,200 –> 00:55:35,460
sons literally did not care what my sons
1434
00:55:33,119 –> 00:55:37,079
wanted was me to set yeah like
1435
00:55:35,460 –> 00:55:38,760
everybody’s house right I just I know
1436
00:55:37,079 –> 00:55:41,400
this stuff this has been 10 years of my
1437
00:55:38,760 –> 00:55:44,040
life but like that’s so profound it’s
1438
00:55:41,400 –> 00:55:47,880
like we think we’re do it’s so [ __ ]
1439
00:55:44,040 –> 00:55:50,819
weird because just yesterday I okay
1440
00:55:47,880 –> 00:55:52,859
truth truth moment here I do have a
1441
00:55:50,819 –> 00:55:55,440
living Nanny because I’m a single mom by
1442
00:55:52,859 –> 00:55:59,359
choice anyway so the living Nanny she’s
1443
00:55:55,440 –> 00:56:03,599
great but yesterday at 4 30 I was like
1444
00:55:59,359 –> 00:56:05,700
the most exhausted I had ever been and I
1445
00:56:03,599 –> 00:56:07,559
was like I told the nanny I’m gonna I’m
1446
00:56:05,700 –> 00:56:10,800
gonna go take a nap but I’ll be up later
1447
00:56:07,559 –> 00:56:12,359
and then as I’m like laying in bed I’m
1448
00:56:10,800 –> 00:56:14,760
saying I don’t think I’m gonna be
1449
00:56:12,359 –> 00:56:16,800
getting up so I text her I said you know
1450
00:56:14,760 –> 00:56:18,839
I know you’re not doing anything tonight
1451
00:56:16,800 –> 00:56:21,059
I don’t think I’m getting up can you
1452
00:56:18,839 –> 00:56:22,559
like finish the night with my my
1453
00:56:21,059 –> 00:56:25,800
daughter and I said to her I was like
1454
00:56:22,559 –> 00:56:27,780
please tell Lucia that my mom loves her
1455
00:56:25,800 –> 00:56:29,780
and that everything I do I do for her
1456
00:56:27,780 –> 00:56:33,000
but now I’m like
1457
00:56:29,780 –> 00:56:36,660
maybe I need to not say that to her
1458
00:56:33,000 –> 00:56:38,940
maybe I need to just continue to be
1459
00:56:36,660 –> 00:56:40,380
present when I can and of course this
1460
00:56:38,940 –> 00:56:42,420
morning I woke up and I had my period
1461
00:56:40,380 –> 00:56:44,819
And I was like oh that’s why right
1462
00:56:42,420 –> 00:56:46,140
before coven my company was making so
1463
00:56:44,819 –> 00:56:48,180
much [ __ ] money like it was
1464
00:56:46,140 –> 00:56:51,900
ridiculous
1465
00:56:48,180 –> 00:56:54,359
um and then you know things changed with
1466
00:56:51,900 –> 00:56:56,220
kovid for the business I’m in because
1467
00:56:54,359 –> 00:57:00,240
it’s supply chain product development
1468
00:56:56,220 –> 00:57:02,819
we’re providing cpg items
1469
00:57:00,240 –> 00:57:05,640
um but there was a point that I probably
1470
00:57:02,819 –> 00:57:09,359
could have bought a Birkin I didn’t but
1471
00:57:05,640 –> 00:57:10,980
I could have like back in 2019 2018 like
1472
00:57:09,359 –> 00:57:14,040
when we were just [ __ ] printing money
1473
00:57:10,980 –> 00:57:14,760
like it was the coolest thing ever
1474
00:57:14,040 –> 00:57:16,819
um
1475
00:57:14,760 –> 00:57:20,819
but like yourself
1476
00:57:16,819 –> 00:57:22,920
I didn’t have a kid I wasn’t in a
1477
00:57:20,819 –> 00:57:25,079
relationship so I traveled a lot I had
1478
00:57:22,920 –> 00:57:27,839
all I spent all my money traveling like
1479
00:57:25,079 –> 00:57:30,839
these beautiful destinations beautiful
1480
00:57:27,839 –> 00:57:32,400
like Resorts all of this so when push
1481
00:57:30,839 –> 00:57:35,940
came to shove I was like should I have
1482
00:57:32,400 –> 00:57:37,800
no money like yeah no yeah like you put
1483
00:57:35,940 –> 00:57:41,339
it all into your house I put it all into
1484
00:57:37,800 –> 00:57:44,700
building a fam a beautiful wardrobe that
1485
00:57:41,339 –> 00:57:46,740
I have and will have of Timeless pieces
1486
00:57:44,700 –> 00:57:50,220
both shoes bags coats you know
1487
00:57:46,740 –> 00:57:51,960
everything and traveling but I should
1488
00:57:50,220 –> 00:57:54,420
have really been putting it into to
1489
00:57:51,960 –> 00:57:57,960
retirement and I give myself a lot of
1490
00:57:54,420 –> 00:58:00,720
guilt about that you know yeah and let
1491
00:57:57,960 –> 00:58:03,059
the little go again let the guilt go but
1492
00:58:00,720 –> 00:58:04,319
again I think when I look at it a lot of
1493
00:58:03,059 –> 00:58:05,700
I mean a lot of it wouldn’t fit me
1494
00:58:04,319 –> 00:58:07,559
anymore anyway because again my body
1495
00:58:05,700 –> 00:58:09,480
shut down and started to balloon but
1496
00:58:07,559 –> 00:58:11,819
like I got rid of a lot of my
1497
00:58:09,480 –> 00:58:14,640
ridiculously expensive shoes and bags
1498
00:58:11,819 –> 00:58:17,099
and everything and it took me a long
1499
00:58:14,640 –> 00:58:19,260
time to let them go
1500
00:58:17,099 –> 00:58:20,819
but at the end I think I realized I was
1501
00:58:19,260 –> 00:58:23,160
holding on to it
1502
00:58:20,819 –> 00:58:25,440
because that was a part of who I was and
1503
00:58:23,160 –> 00:58:27,420
I had worked damn hard to put every
1504
00:58:25,440 –> 00:58:28,500
single one of those pieces in my in my
1505
00:58:27,420 –> 00:58:29,880
wardrobe
1506
00:58:28,500 –> 00:58:30,960
but there was something that’s what I
1507
00:58:29,880 –> 00:58:33,119
was talking about in terms of the
1508
00:58:30,960 –> 00:58:34,980
healing process there was something
1509
00:58:33,119 –> 00:58:37,619
about like I had to let
1510
00:58:34,980 –> 00:58:40,260
bits of those go because that wasn’t who
1511
00:58:37,619 –> 00:58:42,119
I was anymore and I didn’t like who I
1512
00:58:40,260 –> 00:58:44,099
was at the point that I was buying them
1513
00:58:42,119 –> 00:58:46,380
all you know at the point the time that
1514
00:58:44,099 –> 00:58:50,420
I was buying a lot of that stuff and
1515
00:58:46,380 –> 00:58:53,160
earning my biggest internal salary ever
1516
00:58:50,420 –> 00:58:54,960
was the point that I was turning into
1517
00:58:53,160 –> 00:58:56,579
somebody that I didn’t recognize in this
1518
00:58:54,960 –> 00:58:59,460
toxic workplace and I think you know
1519
00:58:56,579 –> 00:59:01,440
thinking that I could polish it all with
1520
00:58:59,460 –> 00:59:03,240
a pair of Louboutins and you know a
1521
00:59:01,440 –> 00:59:05,220
Louis Vuitton
1522
00:59:03,240 –> 00:59:07,619
um you know I get I had one day I was
1523
00:59:05,220 –> 00:59:08,940
going to it sounds this sounds very Posh
1524
00:59:07,619 –> 00:59:10,740
now but I was going from our offices
1525
00:59:08,940 –> 00:59:12,660
I’ve been invited to like a round table
1526
00:59:10,740 –> 00:59:15,000
discussion at the houses of Parliament
1527
00:59:12,660 –> 00:59:16,859
like Westminster in London with this
1528
00:59:15,000 –> 00:59:19,020
group of MPS and I’m sat on the tube
1529
00:59:16,859 –> 00:59:21,359
going to the office one day and was just
1530
00:59:19,020 –> 00:59:23,880
like oh like what is wrong with me and
1531
00:59:21,359 –> 00:59:25,680
this was kind of as I had got like I’d
1532
00:59:23,880 –> 00:59:27,119
gone back to work after my burnout and
1533
00:59:25,680 –> 00:59:29,819
was in this kind of three-month
1534
00:59:27,119 –> 00:59:31,319
transition phase and sat on the tube and
1535
00:59:29,819 –> 00:59:32,940
I’m looking at all these people that
1536
00:59:31,319 –> 00:59:35,280
seemingly look really happy and I was
1537
00:59:32,940 –> 00:59:36,780
just like just so bloody miserable and I
1538
00:59:35,280 –> 00:59:39,180
don’t know what it was that made me do
1539
00:59:36,780 –> 00:59:43,200
it but I was literally started like
1540
00:59:39,180 –> 00:59:45,920
tallying up like how much I was wearing
1541
00:59:43,200 –> 00:59:45,920
that day
1542
00:59:49,099 –> 00:59:55,020
yeah this is gross yeah seriously I am
1543
00:59:52,319 –> 00:59:57,839
sat there wearing ten thousand pounds
1544
00:59:55,020 –> 01:00:00,660
worth of stuff and I’m as miserable as
1545
00:59:57,839 –> 01:00:02,640
hell and again that was another and I
1546
01:00:00,660 –> 01:00:04,859
remember going back to that moment as I
1547
01:00:02,640 –> 01:00:07,619
stood looking at my wardrobe with all of
1548
01:00:04,859 –> 01:00:10,079
these ridiculously expensive things and
1549
01:00:07,619 –> 01:00:12,660
just like it’s like I can let it all go
1550
01:00:10,079 –> 01:00:14,460
because I don’t recognize who I was in
1551
01:00:12,660 –> 01:00:17,099
any of that I replaced some of it right
1552
01:00:14,460 –> 01:00:18,540
I’ve still got some very beautiful items
1553
01:00:17,099 –> 01:00:19,920
that I’ve paid a lot of money for but
1554
01:00:18,540 –> 01:00:21,720
there’s a different feeling that I’ve
1555
01:00:19,920 –> 01:00:23,220
got into those purposes into those
1556
01:00:21,720 –> 01:00:26,280
purchases that makes me feel very
1557
01:00:23,220 –> 01:00:28,980
different about myself sure I mean I I
1558
01:00:26,280 –> 01:00:31,640
sold a lot of things just because
1559
01:00:28,980 –> 01:00:34,740
when I had the money I did a lot of
1560
01:00:31,640 –> 01:00:36,720
impulse purchases so then I feel like I
1561
01:00:34,740 –> 01:00:38,819
literally have never worn this it’s I
1562
01:00:36,720 –> 01:00:42,359
don’t even think it’s cute now like yeah
1563
01:00:38,819 –> 01:00:44,940
so uh yeah yeah so I have re like and I
1564
01:00:42,359 –> 01:00:48,480
resell it like on Poshmark or you know
1565
01:00:44,940 –> 01:00:52,260
one of those like depop but but
1566
01:00:48,480 –> 01:00:55,859
um I yeah like I I think about my mom
1567
01:00:52,260 –> 01:00:58,619
and she had she had such a wonderful
1568
01:00:55,859 –> 01:01:01,260
relationship with my dad but she is
1569
01:00:58,619 –> 01:01:03,059
literally wearing the same clothes that
1570
01:01:01,260 –> 01:01:04,799
she had from when I was growing up and
1571
01:01:03,059 –> 01:01:07,940
she’s totally okay with that she’s
1572
01:01:04,799 –> 01:01:11,160
totally happy same as my mom absolutely
1573
01:01:07,940 –> 01:01:13,079
why aren’t I like that like I need to
1574
01:01:11,160 –> 01:01:16,260
get have a little bit more of that and
1575
01:01:13,079 –> 01:01:19,200
like put my own spin on it my dad has
1576
01:01:16,260 –> 01:01:21,240
still got jumpers that are older than I
1577
01:01:19,200 –> 01:01:23,160
am yeah again I think you know we were
1578
01:01:21,240 –> 01:01:25,319
talking about different generations and
1579
01:01:23,160 –> 01:01:26,339
different messages and and what all
1580
01:01:25,319 –> 01:01:27,660
those things look like I think our
1581
01:01:26,339 –> 01:01:30,299
parents came from from a different
1582
01:01:27,660 –> 01:01:33,900
generation right you kind of made or may
1583
01:01:30,299 –> 01:01:35,520
do yeah and so some of us you know if
1584
01:01:33,900 –> 01:01:38,160
it’s still wearable why wouldn’t you
1585
01:01:35,520 –> 01:01:39,780
whereas I think we’ve come
1586
01:01:38,160 –> 01:01:41,579
you know again if we you know I think we
1587
01:01:39,780 –> 01:01:42,720
kind of similar ages from what we’re
1588
01:01:41,579 –> 01:01:45,900
saying in terms of we were talking about
1589
01:01:42,720 –> 01:01:49,559
but like we saw the introduction of CD
1590
01:01:45,900 –> 01:01:52,020
players and you know laptops right Zoom
1591
01:01:49,559 –> 01:01:53,339
right in in order to to record this
1592
01:01:52,020 –> 01:01:55,140
conversation right we’ve seen all of
1593
01:01:53,339 –> 01:01:57,299
that stuff and and everything has an end
1594
01:01:55,140 –> 01:01:59,280
date right we constantly renewing stuff
1595
01:01:57,299 –> 01:02:02,160
we’re constantly wanting bigger and
1596
01:01:59,280 –> 01:02:04,260
better and faster and more expensive and
1597
01:02:02,160 –> 01:02:05,760
more luxurious like that’s a large part
1598
01:02:04,260 –> 01:02:08,040
of what we’ve been brought up with so
1599
01:02:05,760 –> 01:02:10,260
why wouldn’t you want to keep buying or
1600
01:02:08,040 –> 01:02:12,660
buying buying because again
1601
01:02:10,260 –> 01:02:14,099
not only the the kind of way in which we
1602
01:02:12,660 –> 01:02:16,079
were brought up but what we were saying
1603
01:02:14,099 –> 01:02:18,839
earlier in terms of like success right
1604
01:02:16,079 –> 01:02:20,760
success looks like a really big
1605
01:02:18,839 –> 01:02:22,440
expensive handbag and a really big pair
1606
01:02:20,760 –> 01:02:24,359
of designer heels right that’s what we
1607
01:02:22,440 –> 01:02:26,339
were told success looks like but going
1608
01:02:24,359 –> 01:02:29,339
back to our conversation about like
1609
01:02:26,339 –> 01:02:32,280
what’s what was important to us like
1610
01:02:29,339 –> 01:02:34,559
shoes bags these expensive things I
1611
01:02:32,280 –> 01:02:37,680
don’t know if it’s an American thing or
1612
01:02:34,559 –> 01:02:40,020
a big city thing but to me it was like
1613
01:02:37,680 –> 01:02:42,599
you can have it all or if it was like
1614
01:02:40,020 –> 01:02:44,460
growing up in the 80s thing where they
1615
01:02:42,599 –> 01:02:46,859
were like you know women with their
1616
01:02:44,460 –> 01:02:50,400
power suits and holding a baby and like
1617
01:02:46,859 –> 01:02:53,099
having a big executive job like and I
1618
01:02:50,400 –> 01:02:55,920
still feel like I deeply believe that if
1619
01:02:53,099 –> 01:02:58,380
I work hard enough I could have it all I
1620
01:02:55,920 –> 01:02:59,940
still believe I could have it all but I
1621
01:02:58,380 –> 01:03:01,740
believe I can have it all without having
1622
01:02:59,940 –> 01:03:04,319
to work all the hours and put myself a
1623
01:03:01,740 –> 01:03:06,660
bird out to have it so my whole motto is
1624
01:03:04,319 –> 01:03:09,059
now I can have it all whilst working
1625
01:03:06,660 –> 01:03:10,920
four days a week right that’s my thing
1626
01:03:09,059 –> 01:03:13,440
so I that’s exactly where where I was
1627
01:03:10,920 –> 01:03:15,780
going so it’s like so it’s almost like
1628
01:03:13,440 –> 01:03:18,000
you know burnout
1629
01:03:15,780 –> 01:03:20,220
um working long hours all of those
1630
01:03:18,000 –> 01:03:23,760
things it’s almost like scalp badges
1631
01:03:20,220 –> 01:03:26,480
that you are yeah and yeah we’ve got all
1632
01:03:23,760 –> 01:03:30,559
the badges yeah been there done that
1633
01:03:26,480 –> 01:03:30,559
yeah yeah yeah yeah
1634
01:03:32,540 –> 01:03:36,839
don’t be a dick I think he’s the only
1635
01:03:34,740 –> 01:03:39,500
badge we need when it comes to toxicity
1636
01:03:36,839 –> 01:03:39,500
and burnout
1637
01:03:39,740 –> 01:03:44,819
I think here’s the funny thing though I
1638
01:03:42,780 –> 01:03:47,819
think probably all of us at some person
1639
01:03:44,819 –> 01:03:50,880
has been the toxic person in someone’s
1640
01:03:47,819 –> 01:03:53,700
story so it’s like we’re all gonna get
1641
01:03:50,880 –> 01:03:56,160
that I I’m a dick badge but then we’re
1642
01:03:53,700 –> 01:03:59,339
also gonna get the I’m don’t be a dick
1643
01:03:56,160 –> 01:04:03,000
bad right because like like like in the
1644
01:03:59,339 –> 01:04:05,700
CEO and the CEO’s story
1645
01:04:03,000 –> 01:04:09,299
um where we we met Nicola I’m sure I was
1646
01:04:05,700 –> 01:04:12,180
The Toxic horrible person and you you
1647
01:04:09,299 –> 01:04:15,000
were my predecessor yeah like I’m
1648
01:04:12,180 –> 01:04:18,180
positive that I was I was I was great
1649
01:04:15,000 –> 01:04:20,520
until I was apparently toxic I was I was
1650
01:04:18,180 –> 01:04:22,799
great I was the favorite until I was
1651
01:04:20,520 –> 01:04:24,960
toxic but I think they told that to a
1652
01:04:22,799 –> 01:04:27,420
lot of people I think they did that too
1653
01:04:24,960 –> 01:04:29,400
I think that was part of the toxicity is
1654
01:04:27,420 –> 01:04:31,260
that they told you to create a toxic
1655
01:04:29,400 –> 01:04:34,020
culture right so everybody’s going
1656
01:04:31,260 –> 01:04:36,000
against everybody yeah I’m I’m also
1657
01:04:34,020 –> 01:04:39,240
curious to know her Kelly
1658
01:04:36,000 –> 01:04:43,319
um what are some ways that you would
1659
01:04:39,240 –> 01:04:45,359
recommend to leaders organizations
1660
01:04:43,319 –> 01:04:47,040
Etc to help
1661
01:04:45,359 –> 01:04:48,540
I don’t want to say prevent burnout
1662
01:04:47,040 –> 01:04:50,400
because it’s an internal thing right
1663
01:04:48,540 –> 01:04:52,680
you’re going to you’re going to burn out
1664
01:04:50,400 –> 01:04:54,839
regardless of what your business puts in
1665
01:04:52,680 –> 01:04:57,480
place but I’m sure there are ways that
1666
01:04:54,839 –> 01:04:59,700
businesses can do some things to help
1667
01:04:57,480 –> 01:05:01,559
with burnout long term what what are
1668
01:04:59,700 –> 01:05:04,559
some of those recommendations that you
1669
01:05:01,559 –> 01:05:05,880
have up your sleeve yeah so I think I
1670
01:05:04,559 –> 01:05:07,500
think recognizing that everybody is
1671
01:05:05,880 –> 01:05:09,660
responsible for Burnout prevention right
1672
01:05:07,500 –> 01:05:11,280
us as the individuals and the workplaces
1673
01:05:09,660 –> 01:05:14,400
that we work in so I’m absolutely
1674
01:05:11,280 –> 01:05:16,380
convinced if I know like the deepest
1675
01:05:14,400 –> 01:05:17,760
part of my core I know
1676
01:05:16,380 –> 01:05:19,319
if I had been in a different
1677
01:05:17,760 –> 01:05:21,059
organization I would not have reached
1678
01:05:19,319 –> 01:05:23,099
burnout if I had been in an organization
1679
01:05:21,059 –> 01:05:25,559
that was not toxic I would not have
1680
01:05:23,099 –> 01:05:27,180
reached burnout so I think as it but as
1681
01:05:25,559 –> 01:05:28,859
an individual and as Gina was saying
1682
01:05:27,180 –> 01:05:31,200
right Gina you said what you’ve lasted
1683
01:05:28,859 –> 01:05:34,680
like four months and then left yeah so
1684
01:05:31,200 –> 01:05:36,180
if I had paid attention to to the
1685
01:05:34,680 –> 01:05:38,339
intuitive part of me that said get the
1686
01:05:36,180 –> 01:05:40,079
hell out of there on day one or even
1687
01:05:38,339 –> 01:05:41,460
what it was still telling me that at six
1688
01:05:40,079 –> 01:05:43,740
months right if I’d have listened to
1689
01:05:41,460 –> 01:05:45,420
that part of me I would not have got to
1690
01:05:43,740 –> 01:05:49,079
the point of burnout so I think
1691
01:05:45,420 –> 01:05:50,880
absolutely listen as individuals we need
1692
01:05:49,079 –> 01:05:53,280
to listen to our intuition because our
1693
01:05:50,880 –> 01:05:55,799
intuition knows get the hell out of
1694
01:05:53,280 –> 01:06:01,079
there right so we yeah it cannot ignore
1695
01:05:55,799 –> 01:06:03,900
that absolutely the non-tangible
1696
01:06:01,079 –> 01:06:06,839
but I think that’s why our mind is so
1697
01:06:03,900 –> 01:06:08,640
quick to say hey it’s just like for you
1698
01:06:06,839 –> 01:06:10,859
you said oh it’s just nerves it’s just
1699
01:06:08,640 –> 01:06:12,599
first aid Jitters yeah yeah yeah and
1700
01:06:10,859 –> 01:06:15,000
like I’m sure this is just like a
1701
01:06:12,599 –> 01:06:17,220
clerical error it’ll be absolutely but
1702
01:06:15,000 –> 01:06:20,160
whilst it’s and it’s still there six
1703
01:06:17,220 –> 01:06:22,380
months later right that’s my attention
1704
01:06:20,160 –> 01:06:24,539
to it right pay attention from from that
1705
01:06:22,380 –> 01:06:26,760
perspective so it’s individuals trust
1706
01:06:24,539 –> 01:06:28,500
your gut trust your intuition and act on
1707
01:06:26,760 –> 01:06:30,900
it because it will be giving you even if
1708
01:06:28,500 –> 01:06:33,539
you don’t know the how or the why pay
1709
01:06:30,900 –> 01:06:36,720
attention to it from an organization
1710
01:06:33,539 –> 01:06:39,180
perspective right toxic workplaces are
1711
01:06:36,720 –> 01:06:42,240
still the number one cause of burnout
1712
01:06:39,180 –> 01:06:44,339
and whilst toxic workplaces Remain the
1713
01:06:42,240 –> 01:06:45,780
number one cause of burnout we’re going
1714
01:06:44,339 –> 01:06:47,520
to continue to see those numbers fly
1715
01:06:45,780 –> 01:06:49,559
right and we’re seeing statistics that
1716
01:06:47,520 –> 01:06:52,079
are telling us at 77 of execs are
1717
01:06:49,559 –> 01:06:54,539
reaching burnout 98 of HR are reaching
1718
01:06:52,079 –> 01:06:56,940
burnout like 80 something percent I
1719
01:06:54,539 –> 01:06:59,819
think 84 of leaders worldwide are at the
1720
01:06:56,940 –> 01:07:01,140
point of better like this is awful I
1721
01:06:59,819 –> 01:07:02,280
think we’re seeing the rise of it we’re
1722
01:07:01,140 –> 01:07:03,960
definitely seeing the rise of it post
1723
01:07:02,280 –> 01:07:06,599
pandemic because I think lots of
1724
01:07:03,960 –> 01:07:09,420
organizations are still in panic fight
1725
01:07:06,599 –> 01:07:11,339
or flight mode and organizations need to
1726
01:07:09,420 –> 01:07:13,280
be creating leaders in organizations
1727
01:07:11,339 –> 01:07:14,900
need to be creating
1728
01:07:13,280 –> 01:07:17,579
psychologically
1729
01:07:14,900 –> 01:07:19,319
mentally physically emotionally safe
1730
01:07:17,579 –> 01:07:20,760
workplaces for their people and that
1731
01:07:19,319 –> 01:07:22,200
includes clear and open honest
1732
01:07:20,760 –> 01:07:25,500
communication
1733
01:07:22,200 –> 01:07:27,119
that includes being transparent that
1734
01:07:25,500 –> 01:07:29,039
includes ensuring that there are the
1735
01:07:27,119 –> 01:07:30,599
right people with the right skills and
1736
01:07:29,039 –> 01:07:33,599
the right knowledge the right number of
1737
01:07:30,599 –> 01:07:35,460
people to do the job so that it isn’t us
1738
01:07:33,599 –> 01:07:37,020
High performing overachievers that would
1739
01:07:35,460 –> 01:07:38,640
just take on all the slack and keep on
1740
01:07:37,020 –> 01:07:43,619
working and keep on working and keep on
1741
01:07:38,640 –> 01:07:45,119
working and leaders need to be really
1742
01:07:43,619 –> 01:07:48,000
clear on who they are at the core right
1743
01:07:45,119 –> 01:07:51,000
leaders need to be living in a valued
1744
01:07:48,000 –> 01:07:52,020
LED cool-led way instead of like we were
1745
01:07:51,000 –> 01:07:55,260
talking about with that big for
1746
01:07:52,020 –> 01:07:57,660
consultancy being led by fear not being
1747
01:07:55,260 –> 01:07:59,280
the people that want to speak up being
1748
01:07:57,660 –> 01:08:01,140
the people that will allow themselves to
1749
01:07:59,280 –> 01:08:03,780
be blinded by science
1750
01:08:01,140 –> 01:08:05,520
like leaders have to be questioning they
1751
01:08:03,780 –> 01:08:07,319
see moral unethical stuff that’s going
1752
01:08:05,520 –> 01:08:09,720
on in their businesses and they need to
1753
01:08:07,319 –> 01:08:11,940
not be living it so if we look at it
1754
01:08:09,720 –> 01:08:13,619
from two prongs as others individuals we
1755
01:08:11,940 –> 01:08:15,119
need to know who we are right this is
1756
01:08:13,619 –> 01:08:17,219
who I am at my core these are my core
1757
01:08:15,119 –> 01:08:19,640
values I’m not I’m not departing from
1758
01:08:17,219 –> 01:08:23,339
these at any cost we need to understand
1759
01:08:19,640 –> 01:08:25,679
like and listen to our intuition and
1760
01:08:23,339 –> 01:08:29,160
then leaders in organizations need to
1761
01:08:25,679 –> 01:08:30,540
stop creating and perpetuating toxic
1762
01:08:29,160 –> 01:08:33,239
workplaces they need to be
1763
01:08:30,540 –> 01:08:36,660
psychologically safe workplaces that
1764
01:08:33,239 –> 01:08:38,759
allow people to be themselves to not
1765
01:08:36,660 –> 01:08:41,339
have to change to fit into that toxic
1766
01:08:38,759 –> 01:08:43,920
environment and that where there is safe
1767
01:08:41,339 –> 01:08:45,660
enough to say I’m struggling and I need
1768
01:08:43,920 –> 01:08:48,120
some help and so I think really really
1769
01:08:45,660 –> 01:08:50,400
pay attention to those signs and put
1770
01:08:48,120 –> 01:08:53,640
yourself first like your job I know this
1771
01:08:50,400 –> 01:08:56,339
kind of gets everywhere and really does
1772
01:08:53,640 –> 01:08:59,940
sound like a bit of a cliche but your
1773
01:08:56,339 –> 01:09:02,699
job will replace you tomorrow if you
1774
01:08:59,940 –> 01:09:04,380
have to leave because you are at the
1775
01:09:02,699 –> 01:09:06,060
point of burnout right they will just
1776
01:09:04,380 –> 01:09:08,400
replace you that you know they can they
1777
01:09:06,060 –> 01:09:09,779
will drop you if you resign if they have
1778
01:09:08,400 –> 01:09:12,060
to get rid of you whatever they are
1779
01:09:09,779 –> 01:09:13,859
going to drop you your family your
1780
01:09:12,060 –> 01:09:16,020
friends the people that you matter to
1781
01:09:13,859 –> 01:09:18,120
cannot replace you right there is not
1782
01:09:16,020 –> 01:09:20,460
another Kelly that’s going to step in
1783
01:09:18,120 –> 01:09:22,259
and be the mum to my sons but there was
1784
01:09:20,460 –> 01:09:24,000
another HR director that stepped into
1785
01:09:22,259 –> 01:09:26,940
those shoes and I think we’ve just gotta
1786
01:09:24,000 –> 01:09:30,000
and then recognize that we matter yeah
1787
01:09:26,940 –> 01:09:34,560
and yes and then die and then literally
1788
01:09:30,000 –> 01:09:36,660
dropped dead died so like if this like
1789
01:09:34,560 –> 01:09:38,100
this like I mean I don’t bang all about
1790
01:09:36,660 –> 01:09:39,600
this stuff because like it’s nice like
1791
01:09:38,100 –> 01:09:42,120
burnout and burn out prevention like
1792
01:09:39,600 –> 01:09:43,920
it’s not a sexy subject I’m not telling
1793
01:09:42,120 –> 01:09:46,679
people how to become millionaires or how
1794
01:09:43,920 –> 01:09:48,540
to live beautiful happy lives like
1795
01:09:46,679 –> 01:09:50,699
burnout prevention stuff like really
1796
01:09:48,540 –> 01:09:52,620
dull and boring like oh God here we go
1797
01:09:50,699 –> 01:09:53,880
again like this stuff matters it is
1798
01:09:52,620 –> 01:09:56,280
literally killing people it’s making
1799
01:09:53,880 –> 01:09:58,440
people really ill it’s causing huge
1800
01:09:56,280 –> 01:10:02,400
issues and we have to realize that as
1801
01:09:58,440 –> 01:10:05,040
individuals we are worth more more than
1802
01:10:02,400 –> 01:10:07,560
chronic stress that is literally
1803
01:10:05,040 –> 01:10:09,900
crippling us well it has been such an
1804
01:10:07,560 –> 01:10:12,660
amazing chat I hope thank you for having
1805
01:10:09,900 –> 01:10:15,179
me thank you ladies have an amazing day
1806
01:10:12,660 –> 01:10:17,940
so much Kelly it was so nice to meet you
1807
01:10:15,179 –> 01:10:20,280
and chat take care you have another good
1808
01:10:17,940 –> 01:10:22,739
one bye bye bye
1809
01:10:20,280 –> 01:10:24,480
thank you for joining us today if you
1810
01:10:22,739 –> 01:10:27,000
would like to share your story we would
1811
01:10:24,480 –> 01:10:28,679
love to hear from you also leaving a
1812
01:10:27,000 –> 01:10:30,360
review helps us create more content
1813
01:10:28,679 –> 01:10:32,640
because it shows us there’s an interest
1814
01:10:30,360 –> 01:10:34,140
in this topic for those of our listeners
1815
01:10:32,640 –> 01:10:36,540
who do better with reading we have
1816
01:10:34,140 –> 01:10:40,699
closed caption available on YouTube see
1817
01:10:36,540 –> 01:10:40,699
you next week same time and same place







