My Results and Reflections from the 75 Hard Challenge

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll know I just finished the 75-Hard Challenge 🙈 I had plenty of you cheering me on and I am so grateful for your support, so firstly a BIG thankyou for your messages on encouragement along the way 🥰

I was actually inspired to do the 75-Hard Challenge because a couple of my girlfriends had done it. If you haven’t heard of it, you can click here to read my last blog about it! It’s more of a mental toughness challenge than a health challenge.

For 75 days you have to:

✨ Do two 45-minute workouts a day, including one outdoors

✨ drink a gallon of water a day, which is about 4 litres 

✨ Read a personal development book 

✨ Take a progress photo 

✨ Stick to a diet – My partner and I chose vegetarian 

✨ No alcohol

If you miss a day or messed up on a day, you had to go back to day one!

After watching some of my girlfriends do it, I thought – you know, I’m pretty healthy! 🙋‍♀️ I’ve come a long way with my health over the past few years and we live a pretty healthy lifestyle, but I wanted to do it to test my discipline. I eat pretty healthily during the week, but on weekends I love a cheeky cocktail or a doughnut 🙊  

Credit: Lauren Kerr Babes in Business enjoying a beverage 75day hard challenge

Our Focus

My husband and I are both in a chapter of our lives right now we’re really focusing on business, and we can’t travel so we we’re looking for a new way to tap into our full potential and test our limits. 

Before I started, the thing I was most worried about was the alcohol 😅 I don’t drink a lot (I used to in my early 20s!!) but I’ve gotten a point in my life where I will enjoy a cocktail or two when I’m out on the weekend 🍹 I drink pretty consistently but I don’t drink a lot I don’t think I’ve done more than a few weeks without alcohol since I was a teenager, so I was pretty impressed with myself to last 75 days. 

I shared my experience along the way on Instagram and had a lot of you reach out to ask how the experience was for me. So here is some of the answers to your questions, some tips and my results!

After completing my 75 days, I’ve drunk 75 gallons of water, completed 150 workouts (many in the rain! 🌧), I read 8 books and had no alcohol or junk food (I will confess, I did have lollies one day 🙈 BUT ☝🏼 they were vegetarian and had no gelatine in them so I decided that wasn’t technically cheating 😅). 

Although I did the challenge as a mental test, I did notice some physical changes… 

Credit: Lauren Kerr 75hard challenge before/after

Credit: Lauren Kerr 75hard challenge before/after

75 Day Hard Challenge Results Before and After

Before I started, I did a body scan at the gym and then retested halfway and again at the end.

This was never about weight for me, I actually wanted to put on some weight, tone up and gain muscle 💪 I ended up putting on a half a kilo, and I gained centimetres around my arms, legs and butt, which I was super happy about 🤩 I lost some centimetres around my waist and I did go down in body fat too 👊

If I tried to do the 75hard challenge 5 years ago, I have no doubt I would have failed. Many of you didn’t see or know me back then, so I don’t want you to compare your chapter one with my chapter 21. I have come such a long way thanks to all the education and support from the Healthstyle Emporium, and health is a lifestyle for me now.

I move my body because it makes me feel strong, energetic, positive, clear and reduces my anxiety 😇 I don’t look at calories, I eat nourishing and wholesome foods because it nourishes and fuels my body with energy AND tastes yummy 💥 But if I want to have a doughnut, I’ll have a doughnut 🍩 If I want to have a cocktail, I’ll have a cocktail 🍸 I LOVE to read.

It’s something I seriously just enjoy doing these days! So all in all most of the 75 hard was what I was already doing… I just would be excessive and disciplined about it every day… instead intuitive and honouring how my body feels.

BUT that was the point…

This challenge was about showing up and being disciplined everyday! Not just the days you felt like it or had the time to do two work outs…or when the sun was shining 🌞. Trust me - there were many days where I didn’t ‘feel like’ running or walking in the rain and wind.

Especially when Gold Coast had an weather event with torrential rain and floods for a whole week 🤦🏼‍♀️ I still tried to honour my body though, especially as a women through my cycle if I needed to be a little more gentle on my body I would choose to walk instead of run, yoga instead of the gym and I even picked up dancing again to mix things up 🙌

Credit: Lauren Kerr - 75 Days Hard Challenge

The Biggest Challenge…

The biggest challenge for me five years ago would probably have been the food. I had a really bad relationship with food and looked at all foods as either good ✅ or bad ❌.

Even trying to eat plant based or vegetarian diets would have left me confused on what I could actually eat! It wasn’t until I joined the Healthstyle Emporium that I realised eating healthy didn’t mean I had to cut out all my favourite foods. I’ve learnt there are healthy alternatives for everything, and it’s okay to eat the foods we love in moderation ☺️

While I enjoy a drink or two on the weekends now, I used to binge drink pretty much every weekend five years ago 😳 I used alcohol as a way to manage emotions. When I felt shit, had a bad day at work or just wanted to lose myself, I would reach for alcohol or a weekend out with the girls to just get drunk and let of some steam 💃  rather than learning healthier ways to manage stress like I do now - exercise, journalling, meditation, deep breathing, understanding and honouring my cycle and hormones.

It’s so important not to play the comparison game… 

The 75 Day Challenge is Too Hard

To all the girls out there thinking the 75 Hard Challenge is too intense or difficult, this is your reminder that everyone is at a different stage of their health journey. While I would have struggled with the challenge at 23, the 2.5 months honestly wasn’t difficult for me at 28 💁‍♀️ It was inconvenient and there were days where I really didn’t feel like sticking to it, but I still made it through pretty easily. 

Mix It Up Then…

If you’re someone that still has a while to go on your health and wellness journey, I probably wouldn’t recommend throwing yourself into the deep end with this challenge ✋ Instead, try moving your body because it feels good – not because you’re punishing it for a big meal, one too many drinks or because it’s been a while since your last workout 👊

Skip The Diet… Try Education…

Skip the diet and educate yourself about nutrition, so you learn to enjoy and eat nourishing foods because you want to fuel your body with the energy you need to get through the day! 🙏 The funny thing is too - once you start to eat better and cut out processed foods and refined sugar - your taste pallet changes and it starts to crave more of the good stuff making is not only easier to eat better but you actually prefer the taste of wholesome plant based meals and treats 🍫🤤

Make Time for You!

My highest value is freedom, so the biggest thing for me is during this time was the mental game of knowing I was restricting myself! I believe everything is okay in moderation! We’re not going to look back on our deathbed and be grateful that we never ate a doughnut!

But when we feel good, we do good 🥰 Some of the best days of our lives are in front of us, and if we don’t have our health, we’re not putting ourselves in the best position to enjoy them ✨

Reflecting

I realised just how far I’ve come in the past few years when I realised that many of the things in this challenge were already part of my life.

The day after finishing, I still went for a 10km run, read a whole book and drunk my 4L of water 💦 The one thing that will be changing now that I’ve finished is that I will be treating myself to a cocktail when I feel like it 🙈 Why? Because I enjoy it! And that’s a good enough reason if you ask me 🤷‍♀️

I think that’s a really important point for us to consider though.

1. Why do you drink alcohol?

2. Is it because you feel like you need it to be fun and social?

3. Do you do it be outgoing?

4. Do you do it to manage your feelings and emotions?

The same thing applies to sugar! 🍬 I used to reach for sugar to treat myself after ‘being good’, or when I was feeling down or at the end of a long and stressful day. Cutting these things out of your life gives you the opportunity to reflect on the relationship you have with them 💁‍♀️

Why are you doing the challenge? 

If you decide to do the 75 Hard Challenge, I encourage you to consider if you’re doing it for the right reasons before you start ✋

1. Are you doing it to starve yourself?

2. Are you doing it to punish yourself?

3. Are you doing it to lose weight?

I would say that these may be the wrong reasons to do a challenge like this!

I think it’s far more beneficial to do the 75 Hard Challenge to test things like discipline and unlock your full potential. 

Read More: My Goal for 2021 and Why 75Hard Challenge

Key Reflection Points

There are a few things I reflected on at the end of my time in the challenge that I would love to share with you ✨

1. I think we’re all capable of doing anything we set our minds to 💪 Too many people say things like “I’ll try that!” or “I’ll give it a go!”, but that to me sounds like you’re half in-half out. I honestly believe that all it takes to be successful is to completely commit and throw yourself in whole heartedly 💖

2. Structure is your freedom! I think some of the reasons the 75 Hard Challenge was so easy for me is because I had structure. First thing in the morning I did my first workout. I made sure I drunk 1L of water before my first workout. I made sure I drunk 2L of water before lunch. I made sure I read my 10 pages every night before I went to bed. It’s the same in business or anything really! Structure helps you gets more done in less time, so that you’ve got my white space to enjoy the things you like.

3. .Don’t make it about how you look – focus on how you feel! Think about how it feels to feel strong, energised and prioritised. You’re worth being an inconvenience! I see so many people put themselves and their health on the back burner, but you’re not going to be able to achieve anything if you don’t have your health!

4. .Surround yourself with people that have the same values as you. I did this challenge because I was inspired by some of my girlfriends that had gone ahead and done the same thing before me. It was also easier doing 75 Hard Challenge because I was surrounded by other people that also value their health, personal development and self-discipline 🙌 It wasn’t hard to have fun on the weekends, have friends over or go out for dinners, because there was no peer pressure or bullying for what I was doing and I wouldn’t be drinking or couldn’t eat what they were… They respected what I was doing and knew it was important to me. If you’re delaying doing a challenge like this (or anything in life!) because you’re worried about what your friends might think or say, it could be a sign that you need to rethink the people you spend your time with.

Credit: Lauren Kerr 75Hard Challenge Poolside

Most Importantly…

Like I’ve said, I’m a big believer of anything in moderation! My husband and I celebrated finishing the 75 hard with a little Island getaway where I enjoyed lots of cheese, wine and a donut for breakfast…with absolutely no guilt ⚡️

Test yourself, push your boundaries and further your growth, but remember to take a moment to enjoy the little things in life too 💖

5 things I have learnt from building a million dollar business

This week was an exciting milestone for me and my business. We turned five! 🙈🎂

I recently read that less than 1% of businesses around the world generate more than $1,000,000 per year in sales. This was a little yay-moment for me because not only has my business survived five years, but it’s thriving and we’re generating more than $1,000,000 every year 💸

The whole point of running an online business is to make things look pretty, glittery and attractive, which means my business probably looks like fun 100% of the time from the outside…

Given you guys only see the highlight reels of my job, I really want to take this moment to have a heart-to-heart with you all 💖

What better way to celebrate turning five, than to share the five biggest lessons I’ve learned from building a million dollar business 👏 It’s not always easy and fun, but that’s actually what inspired us to start our podcast – Babes Talking Business. We wanted to empower women by sharing what actually goes on behind the scenes of running a business! 

I really hope these lessons will inspire you to take the plunge and start your business – or take your side hustle or biz to the next level 💪

Read More: 7 Day Coaching Series | Health & Happiness | Buy My Book

Image Credit: Lauren Kerr Babes in Business photos by rocks on the ocean

1. Get clear on your vision and your WHY ✨

What inspires you to start a business? A side hustle? A passion project?

I know it sounds really cliché but it’s honestly true. You need to understand your WHY… 

It’s super important to know what you want from your business and what’s going to drive you, because the first 12-months getting your baby off the ground are always the hardest. But when you’re clear on WHY you’re doing it, you can decide whether your discomfort, pain and challenge is outweighed by the potential that you see in your future. 

I like to think of it as either being motivated by the carrot or the stick. Sometimes people are inspired by the carrot - the shiny things or pretty vision at the front. They’re inspired to create a lifestyle, generate an income, make an impact or have a contribution 🙌  Other people are motivated by the stick - the pain that is always just behind them, reminding them of their reality if nothing changes. I was initially motivated by the stick. It was being unhappy in my career and my lifestyle that led me to make BIG changes in my life and start my biz ✔️

I see so many people start businesses and feel so inspired by the idea of business or a creative project at the start, but the reason they fail or give up is because in the back of their brain they’re doubting themselves and if the work it takes to actually be successful at it is really worth it 😅 They’re asking themselves if it’s really worth working on Saturday? Is it really worth working on my side hustle at the end of a really long day? Is it really worth me putting myself out of my comfort zone? Is it worth the rejection? 🤷‍♀️

What these questions tell me is that they still haven’t decided what they want - or more importantly - WHY you want it…

Because once you become really clear on your why, it’s so much easier to just dive in and do it. It’s really as simple as that! 💥

I’m not here to sugar-coat things – my first year was TOUGH! 🥵 While it was super tricky in those first few months, I really think knowing my why is how I’ve been successful. I don’t need anyone to motivate or inspire me. I don’t need to be reminded why I’m doing what I’m doing. I know wholeheartedly why I do what I do, and that makes all the work worth it 💖

Image Credit: Lauren Kerr babes in business monthly podcasts

2. Anyone can be successful at business, but it’s not for everyone 🤗

When I say this, I mean it in the nicest way possible! I started my business with an absolute passion to help anyone and everyone that had a vision. What I’ve realised over the past five years is that it doesn’t matter if you’ve got no degree or 10 degrees, no kids or four kids, if you’re a man or a female.

But it does take a certain type of breed to be successful in business 🙌

• I’m not sure if it’s innate or if they’re characteristics you can work on, but you need to have self-discipline.

• A lot of people come into entrepreneurship with an employee mentality.

• They think they’re going to start at 9am and finish at 5pm, and because they worked 8-hours they should have made at least the average wage for the day.

• These people believe they need to trade time for money. 

• That employee mentality just isn’t going to serve you in entrepreneurship 🙅‍♀️

You can’t think that you’ll work as long as someone tells you what to do or that you’ll work as long as someone congratulates me at every checkpoint 😳 

If you need a pat on the back, entrepreneurship isn’t for you. You need to do things when nobody is watching. It’s about discipline, delayed gratification, resilience ⚡️ If I gave up every time I was rejected, whenever anyone said anything negative about me or my business, or whenever I hit a roadblock, I would have given up a long time ago! 😂

What I’ve learnt from being in business is that for you to be successful in business, you need to be resilient, but you also need to be a problem solver. You can’t throw yourself a pity party every time life gets challenging, because you’ll never be successful. And spoiler alert ‼️ Problems never go away. You solve a problem just to get a bigger (higher quality) problem.

The truth is that failure and success aren’t two different paths 🤷‍♀️ We can’t have one without the other. In fact, if you’re failing, I would say you’re already succeeding 🤩 If you’re being challenged and you’re having problems in your business, it’s not that you’re failing. These are just normal and natural parts of running a business, so it actually means you’re on the right track! 💪 Success is on the other side of that failure - not on another road altogether!

These aren’t the things you can get from a coach or a mentor. They’re the things you need to dig a little deeper and find within yourself to be successful…

And maybe business isn’t for you. That’s ok - business isn’t for everyone. Employees and jobs are just as important, needed and valued to change the world, help people, deliver services and products, put food on the table and raise families. Get clear on what you want, what is important to you - and what is the right vehicle to get you (and your families) needs and wants met. That may change in different chapters of life too.

But from what I have seen and experienced… entrepreneurship is in your blood. You can try to suppress it, but it keeps taunting you. You are always craving or day-dreaming of more and will never be satisfied reporting to a boss or settling for a capped pay check.

Image Credit: Lauren Kerr babes in business motivational and mindset books

3. Dive into your money story 💰

Plenty of us don’t realise that we inherent our money habits. We’re taught to manage and think about money in a certain way growing up. The traditional schooling system teaches us that we need to trade time for money – That’s what I thought when I left school and got a scholarship to go to university! 😳

But when we think about money in that way, it’s really tricky to embark on business when you stop trading time for money. It makes it hard to scale because it brings a guilt that you’re not working as hard as you were at the start, yet the money continues to grow. I’ve been there 🙋‍♀️ (I even wrote a blog about it if you would love to hear my own personal breakthrough!)

I think every business owner needs to do some type of reflection or investigation into their personal money story. It can be really hard to think like an entrepreneur if we don’t truly understand these things within ourselves. It’s about working harder not smarter, scaling the business and building residual income and an asset 📈

Once you’re properly educated on money and you understand the importance of having multiple income streams, you can look where you currently are and use the statistics to predict where you’re going to be in 10, 25 and 50 years from now ⏩  How much superannuation are you going to have? How much more tax are you paying for not having a home based business? 

Here is a blog where I shared the 7 books that personaly helped me shift my mindset around money and changed my life, literally.

Diving into your finances and financial literacy will teach you that you can’t afford not to have multiple streams of income. In the 21st Century, you can’t afford not to have a side-hustle or investments in different areas 💵 You need to look at your money to realise how simple these things are too. If these things don’t make sense to you, then you haven’t dived into your money story yet 📚

Plenty of people were probably surprised by these sorts of things over the past year from COVID-19, but that’s because no-one has ever forced them to look at their money. The most successful people I see in business are the ones that have educated themselves about finances and they use it to keep their eyes focused on their vision 🙏

Image Credit: Lauren Kerr babes in business beach side gathering

4. Relationships are EVERYTHING 💖

I mean it. EVERYTHING! 🙌 Getting any business off the ground is about networking. Unless you’ve got money to invest in paid advertising or you’ve already built a platform of influence. But usually the way you grow influence is through building relationships and adding value consistently over a long period of time 🙏  Once you start building a team, it’s then all about how you can look after those people and nurture your relationship with them 🥰  Whether you’re a small or large business, this is everything! 

The best way to improve your relationships is to work on your communication. It’s about people-skills and knowing how to listen more and talk less 👂 Look into sales, leadership or influence books (I have a whole chapter on emotional intelligence in my book if you feel called to delve into that). Learn how to read people, ask great questions and solve people’s problems 🤝 We’ve never lived in a world where we’ve been so connected, yet people have felt so disconnected. 

People just don’t want to hear about your shit 🙈 When I’m hanging out with family and friends, I’m asking them about them. When I’m meeting potential clients, I want the focus to be on them and what they want to achieve. Taking the time to ask these questions doesn’t just bring success, it brings deep and meaningful relationships. 

Don’t go into things wondering what you can take. Always ask yourself what you can give or how you can leave a positive impact 🤔 Whether it’s your energy, your focus, a referral for a book you read or your program or your products, it’s so important to get good at your communication and relationship skills. 

If I’m being totally honest, this is still one of the biggest challenges I face today 🙋‍♀️  It’s easy to build a tribe of people like you, but when you start building a team and a successful business, you have to up your game 💪 There are so many people out there that come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives, values, love languages, communication styles and personalities, and I welcome that! But it’s a huge responsibility to make those people feel valued, seen and heard. 

You can mean so well, but it’s important to realise that we all look at the world differently and we have different personality styles. The key is being able to understand others, and be flexible in your approach and learning it is not about how you communicate or see the world - it’s about how they do. You are here to serve them ✔️

Image Credit: Lauren Kerr babes in business motivational and mindset speaker

5. Shiny object syndrome!

The people I see having success in any profession are the ones that don’t chase shiny objects.  We hear so many stories of the businesses that fail, but I honestly think no one has told these people that they’re not failing – this is just business! 😉

These people are told life is greener over here, you’re in the wrong company, you’ve just got the wrong product. If you’re distracted by comments like this, you just can’t be successful. We all see those people that jump from company to company or industry to industry – they never make it anywhere! 😬

You need to have grit, focus and determination to be successful 👊 A big part of this is surrounding yourself with people that are actually successful in business and will tell you how it really is. Business is hard! Talk to any successful business owner and you’ll realise they’re in the trenches with you! 🙏

There are going to be seasons in your business where you are hustling in the trenches and you’ve got to get to work. It’s early morning and late nights. But if you’re surrounding yourself with the people who are actually doing the do (or have done it in the past to create the success they enjoy now), they’ll tell you it’s not forever. It’s just for a season. 

It’s like anything in life! We have seasons in the economy, in the weather, even in our menstrual cycles as women! Business is the same, particularly as a start-up. I’m telling you this because if you’re in the trenches, it’s all worth it! 

Surround yourself with like minded people who ask you the right questions, challenge your standards, remind you of your worth and your why when you forget…

✨Because quitters never win, and winners never quit ✨

The last 5 years have shown me that I am my biggest asset. I know I can rely on me to show up, do the work and look after other people. Why do that for someone else and not for me? If you know you have drive like that within you, show up and work on your own dreams rather than being used to build someone else’s because people with this level of tenacity, hunger, desire and willingness to learn are hard to find. So if an employee has got you… trust me it’s your loss.

My journey certainly hasn’t been all rosy and up-hill. There has definitely been seasons of my journey like that, but they have been periods of plateau or dips too. That’s not because of luck 🙅‍♀️ It’s because of delayed gratification, vision and being surrounding by like-minded people. I dive into my money story, show up when I need to and remind myself that we all get to choose our hard 🤗

Owning a business is hard. But is working 9 to 5 for someone else easier? 

These are the five biggest lessons I’ve learnt, and I’m still only a baby but I can say that the girls I work with are what inspire me. I’m beyond grateful that I get to wake up every day and do what I do with these epic women by my side. They were the women I was craving for all those years ago - women who were ready to be the change. Thank you for joining me on the journey so far – here’s to plenty more years to come!!🍾🤩

My Goal for 2021 and why ✨- #75Hard Challenge

Have you heard of the 75 Hard Challenge?

It seems like more and more people are starting to talk about it! 

If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a mindset and discipline challenge that goes for 75 days. For the two and a half months of the challenge, you need to:

• two 45-minute workouts a day (at least one needs to be outdoors rain, hail or shine) 🏋️‍♀️

• drink one gallon of water 💦

• read 10 pages of a personal development book 📖

• stick to a diet 🍉

• have no alcohol / or cheat days🥂

• and take a progress picture every single day 📸

If you skip anything or have a cheat day, you’ve got to go back to day one and start all over again 🙈 

Lauren Kerr - Babes in Business - Stretching on the beach

MY 75 DAY HARD CHALLENGE 

Last week I started the #75Hard challenge myself 💪

Why? Well, I’ve seen heaps of my friends and other people in my life doing the challenge recently. After chatting with these people, I’ve discovered that most aren’t doing it as a health challenge. It’s really more of an opportunity to test your mental toughness, discipline and commitment. 

I’ve got a personality that means I’m either all in or all out when I do anything – especially when it comes to health. Up until about 4 or 5 years ago when I joined The Healthstyle Emporium, I didn't have a healthy relationship with food or exercise, I was always trying to do something excessively and restricting myself in another which just led to me yo-yo-ing my weight and my happiness.

From my experience diets don’t work. I’m a big believer that every time you restrict yourself of anything, you end up just binging or over indulging in the end anyway. My five-year journey with The Health Style Emporium has taught me how to be happy and healthy on my own terms, in a sustainable and holistic way by skipping the diets and learning how to just move and eat intuitively (with healthy alternatives) which has been such an incredible and life changing experience 💖

Now, my principle in life and business is the 80% rule 🙌🏽. Eat healthy 80% of time, move well 80% of time, work hard 80% of the time because from my experience this is the consistency that leads to sustainable success and health without burnout or binging and allows lots of time for rest and play 🕺🏼✨

The 80% principal has served me really well…but because I live by this rule in every aspect of my life, I don’t really know what it’s like to commit 100% of the time and go all in. If I feel great at 80%, imagine how good I could feel at 100%?

I’m doing the #75Hard challenge to test my own discipline, to show up more for myself and really just see how good I can possibly feel 👏

Discovering a new version of myself

One of the aspects that interested me the most about this challenge was the no alcohol rule. I’m not sure when you first started drinking, but I am embarrassed to admit that I don’t think I have gone more than about 2 weeks without alcohol since I was 15 😬.

I probably was a bit of a binge drinker between the ages of 17 and 20 (aren’t we all 🙈), but I’m not like that anymore. I do drink regularly but it’s usually just enjoying a cocktail at dinner, a Pina Colada’s in the sunshine or having a port in the bath🍷. It may not be large amounts all the time, but it’s definitely consistent. 

Given it’s been so long that I’ve lived like this, I’m excited to discover how I might feel without having that much alcohol in my life. Plenty of people I’ve spoken to are saying their clarity, intuition and overall mood are much better! I’m really keen to see if I will experience the same results. 

Lauren Kerr - Babes in Business - Sipping a Pina Colada on the Beach

Self-worth does not equal work ethic 

Another motivating factor for me was my self-worth. When it comes to my business, the reality is that I AM my business.

Have you heard the saying – ‘Don’t kill the golden goose’?

In my mind, that saying is a reminder of how important it is to look after the golden goose in your life – the thing that lays the eggs and provides your wealth and abundance. Don’t get caught up on burning your goose out over one egg when (if you look after it) it can continue to deliver you a lifetime of golden eggs. Being my own boss and running my own business means it’s so important to invest in and look after… me! 🥰

I had a massive breakthrough last year that I shared with you all on my birthday…

I had this really old belief that I was carrying around with me that my work ethic equals my self-worth 😰 When I’m not working hard, I didn’t feel like I was worthy of my income or my lifestyle. I felt like I needed to work even harder to deserve more.

I decided in 2021 to discover how I could increase my self-worth, without always tying it to my work ethic. I saw the #75Hard Challenge as a great way to put myself first and remind myself that I am worthy of what I have – without linking it back to my professional life. 

So it’s time to turn that worthyodometer up gf! 🙌

Getting started on the challenge 

I’m super excited to bring you guys along the way on this journey and I can’t wait to see the results of giving 100% to myself. Before getting started, I thought water was going to be the hardest part, but I’ve realised that I do drink pretty much a gallon a day. The real tough part for me is definitely going to be the alcohol and no cheat days 🙈

The 6 week Glow Up inside The Healthstyle Emporium is helping me stay inspired and creative with my work outs and yummy healthy meals and treats, along with our babes for support and accountability 👯‍♀️🙌🏽) but I got tempted over the weekend with donuts 🍩 🙊

Donuts are my weakness 😅 WARM JAM DONUTS ARE LIFE 🤤🤤

I found myself mentally battling myself being like ‘who said I can’t have a donut 😡’...I hate rules, restrictions and being told what I can and can’t do... but I quickly caught myself and realised I was giving my power away.

I can eat that donut. But I am ‘choosing’ not to.

I see this so often, we give our power away by saying we are forced to do something when you’re not ...

You’re choosing to go to that job, be in that relationship, to not eat the donut 😝

You have a choice - and reminding yourself takes you out of the victim mentality and gives you back your power.

Lauren Kerr - Babes in Business - Watching Sunset over the Beach

What does the next level of you look like? 

When one of my highest values is balance, I will admit I feel pretty torn already and I am only a week in!

Half of my brain is telling me '“f*&K it! Just have the drink / donut if you want it”, but I keep having to remind myself that I really want to step into that next level of myself this year and if I want to grow, I need to try new things and push myself outside of my current comfort zone and realm of reality. 

The old Lauren wouldn’t say no to a good time.

The old Lauren wouldn’t deprive her body from what she felt like. But becoming the new Lauren means I need to say yes to new things, I need to think like I wouldn’t usually and I need to behave like I wouldn’t usually… if I want to experience new things and manifest a new reality or results. It’s exciting to be in this zone of discomfort because it’s a great sign that I’m on the way to reaching the next level of myself.

If you’re considering your goals for 2021 or you’re thinking about the #75Hard challenge, I would really encourage you to think about what the next level of yourself looks like?

How can you make yourself uncomfortable and start taking steps in the right direction towards who you can / want to be?

How can you think, speak and act in ways that you usually wouldn’t? 

When I sat down to nut out my 2021 goals, the #75Hard Challenge was really the only thing that I really wanted to do when it came to my own personal health and happiness - so here I am getting it done and sharing it with you for some public accountability! ✔️ I’m one week in so it’s early days and I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but so far so good! I am enjoying the process and the mental toughness and can not wait to share with you my results (both mentally and physically). 🙌 

Bring on the next level of Lauren! 

If you’re doing the challenge, I’d love to keep updated with how you’re doing too! Feel free to drop me a comment on Instagram and keep me in the loop and let’s cheer each on! Together, we’ve got this 💪

P.S If you haven’t set yourself any goals yet for 2021 - last week I hosted a Goal Setting Masterclass exclusively for our clients inside the Healthstyle Emporium but… I wanted to offer it to my online community as well coz I love you guys ❤️ I hope it helps you get clear on what you want to focus on this year so you feel like you have direction, purpose and something to strive towards and get excited about too!

I talk about:

• How to set goals that align with your highest values

• Why its so hard to set goals AND stick to them

• The psychology of goal setting and how to use it as your super power

• Strategies to help you see your goals the whole year through

• + BONUS a free goal setting template so you walk away feeling empowered and clear on what you want to consciously create this year!

Let me know what you take from it, I hope it serves you ✨

The glorification and vilification of work ethic

You probably saw that I was celebrating my birthday recently and if I’ve ever wished you a happy birthday, you’ll know that I always ask people the same question on their birthday, “What was your biggest lesson?” 🤔… And I do the same to myself too.

Reflection of my 28th Lap around the Sun

Every year I take some time out to reflect and think about the biggest lesson I’ve personally taken from the previous 12 months.

I think it’s important to reflect as not everyone got the last 12 months so I put the time aside to think about what I did with the ones I was gifted with.

This year’s reflection on my 28th lap around the sun came with some pretty significant breakthroughs. 

Lauren celebrating her birthday in another Baby Lemonade dress - use discount code ‘BIB’ for 15% off

The Abundance Code

I’ve been reading this book called ‘The Abundance Code’, and it’s challenging me to ponder on my own self-limiting beliefs 🙈.

For many of us, it’s been a year of surrendering, which is what led me to create a little blog series called, The Surrender Project. I’m using this blog to talk about what I’ve learnt throughout 2020, and I’ve shared my thoughts on learning to surrender, discarding beliefs that no longer serve me and how to battle my self limiting beliefs 👊 in business, marriage, money and life.  

My Journal 🖊️

While journaling on my birthday, my breakthrough started because I *thought* one of my biggest self-limiting beliefs 👊 was the idea that you have to trade time for money.

I know that’s not true logically because obviously, I’ve created a business that offers lots of different residual and passive income streams, so I don’t always have to trade my time for my money 🤷‍♀️.

But over the last 12 months, I’ve really noticed that I have this guilt around slowing down because something unconsciously tells me that the only way to be successful is to keep working hard, like I had for the first couple of years in my business. 

I used to take pride in the fact I have a great work ethic and all my success I have had - nothing was handed to me - I worked hard to create it for myself, by myself...

This reflection happened around the same time that I hit a massive professional goal and pinnacle leadership position within my company called EMD being the same week as my birthday.

My Work Ethic 💪

It’s really interesting because as I was getting recognised, I was getting a lot of beautiful messages celebrating me. Something that kept coming up was comments like “I don’t know anyone more deserving”, “You’re a unicorn Lauren!” or “I don’t know anyone that works as hard as you, you’ve got such a great work ethic.”. 

These kind messages reminded me that people also know me for my work ethic but it also made me feel guilty because I don’t feel like I work that hard anymore! 😳 It is like ‘working hard’ makes someone deserve respect and their success. Work ethic is like a yard stick we use to measure our respect for ourselves and others.

Was I still deserving of my success?

Graph of the HSE Bonus Rewards Scale

HUSTLING VS FLOW

All these comments also made me realise that ‘hustling’ isn’t cool anymore.

For most people it feels unattainable and not something people aspire to do (including myself). A few years ago there was a glorification around working ourselves as hard as physically possible, yet the last two years I have realised it’s just not sustainable (especially for women as we aren’t wired the same as men - we are cyclical)…

and instead being “in flow” is the new cool... 😎

Flow

I’m all for flow! But I do think it means in the process of making it cool, we’ve now also built a vilification around ‘hustle’ – It’s no longer sexy to hustle. I’ve noticed within my business it can be really polarising to have work ethic because a lot of people say they can’t do what I do, or that they just don’t want to do what I do.

It’s like ‘hustle’ has become a dirty word and women are no longer inspired by hustle, working hard or work ethic. Comments like this trigger me because I genuinely don’t think you have to work hard to be deserving of your success. 

But - because I am a straight shooter and I care about your success, you can trust me to tell you the truth and not just what you want to hear that is going to make you feel comfortable, trust me when I say those people who are enjoying ‘flow’ had a season where they hustled. 

WORK ETHIC DOES NOT EQUAL WORTHINESS 

To achieve anything or get anything off the ground 🚀, you need to have commitment and energy💪. It’s going to take a burst of inspired action, and you might have a bit of strategic imbalance for a while as you create what you want, but it won’t stay that way forever. 

Although I threw a lot of energy into my business at the start, and it was ‘harder’ in the early days, it was only tough because I was building up an income around a full-time job. If I didn’t have the work ethic to get started and continue to show up even when didn’t feel like it (lets be honest most days it would have been easier to sit on the couch after work), I never would have gotten anywhere, let alone where I am now.

It didn’t stay that way though, because I was in flow and I loved what I was doing, I persisted, I mastered the skills I needed to grow my business and as my confidence grew so did my income. I simply believe that you need to have a passion and put in the hard yards to set yourself up, and the rest will follow naturally ✨. 

Consistent Work

The last two years of my work haven’t been ‘hard’. Yes I’ve been consistent. I’ve been passionate. I’ve been committed to my growth and stepping out of my comfort zone, taking inspired action and having uncomfortable conversations (those things come hand in hand with leadership).

But I have also had good boundaries, I’ve scheduled my joy every day and have made sure I’ve prioritised my own health and happiness. I don’t believe that takes away from my success at all. My income continues to grow, and I keep creating more white space, new opportunities and freedom 👏. 

So if this self-limiting belief wasn’t coming from the idea that I had to swap time for money, what was it? 🤔

Lauren Kerr at the Beach - Babes in Business

THE WORKING-CLASS BELIEF 

If you come from a family that is very abundant and very wealthy, very rarely will you stop and consider if you are worthy of it.

You’re born into it, so you don’t doubt if you’re deserving, you just accept that it’s the way things are 💁‍♀️. 

Are you Worthy of Success?

The flip side of that is that when people like me come into money or start creating money that they don’t necessarily have to work as hard for, you start feeling like it’s a dishonest way of life.

It’s almost like you think that you’re cheating the system or doing something wrong because you’re not working hard to create it, despite seeing so many of your loved one’s working hard their whole lives.

This realisation has been my biggest breakthrough because I acknowledge that this has been my blockage.

I did have the belief that work ethic equals worthiness and I needed to flip it. it was no longer serving me. Because when I dig deeper, I do know that you can create more and do less, business can be easy, wealth can come easy - And none of those things makes you less deserving of it 🙌.

THE VILIFICATION OF HUSTLING

Real talk, though. I still do honestly believe that getting anything up off the ground, in order to create flow and build abundance; you do have to have some work ethic or hustle at the start to get momentum. As well as then needing the skills and confidence to maintain it.

My advice for you is that if you’re working hard on something, make sure that it’s something that brings you joy or will mean you won’t have to ‘work hard’ long term. 

My highest value is time freedom and flexibility 👐 So, I worked hard for a season, which was only around 2 to 4 hours on top of my full-time job each day to get my business off the ground and build that residual income stream.

But I only ‘worked hard’ so that I didn’t have to continue to work at that level, pace or intensity forever. I want to spend my time with my friends and family, with my future kids enjoying being a stay at home mum, relaxing, at the beach, prioritising my own health and happiness and more time researching, reading and writing.

Lauren Kerr on a blowup swan in the pool

What is ‘hard work’ anyway?

Maintaining your efforts and committing to being consistent to get a side hustle or business off the ground whilst juggling a job is hard. But is staying in a job where you commute 2 hours a day, miss magical moments, have a capped income, feel unfulfilled, uninspired and hungry for more, but do nothing about it…any easier?

There is a big difference between ‘working hard’ and ‘hard work’. Yes I ‘worked hard’ for a season to set myself up and get momentum in my business and build my brand, but it wasn’t ‘hard work’.

If you align yourself with your highest values and passions and work out a way to either monetise them or create a lifestyle so you can enjoy them - you want to show up and put the work in. Because it’s important to you.

THE CURRENCIES OF LIFE 

There are three currencies in life: 

1. Money 💰

2. Audience or your relationships (your network) ❤️

3. Time  🕐

I believe you need to leverage off at least two of those currencies to create the third one.

For example you leverage off your time and audience to create money (either by selling a service or product).

You leverage off your audience and money (by outsourcing, hiring employees or paying for systems to automate) to create time.

You leverage off your money and time (by investing in your network) to create more audience and be connected or introduced to other high achievers or world thought leaders / influencers / business owners.

When I first started, I didn’t have the money, but I had the time, so I focused on building and investing in my relationships with content and value to create the money. And now I use my money and audience to create the time I was missing. 

Whatever goal you’re working towards, remember the difference between working hard and hard work.

If these are goals that align with you and your highest values, you should be in a feeling of flow. After your season of strategic imbalance, where you go all in, and you work a little bit harder than you usually do, you won’t have to continue this way of life forever. 

Lauren Kerr out with girl friends in another Baby Lemonade Dress. Use discount code: BIB for 15% off!

Are your beliefs outdated? 

Did you realise that you carried the same belief that work ethic equals worthiness?

Not only does work ethic not equal worthiness, but you don’t need to find your worthiness in what you do for work either 🤩.

Money that comes easy isn’t dishonest - it’ smart!

There are so many ways to create wealth these days that no longer require you to trade your time or work hard for it. 

Beliefs are just thoughts you keep thinking.

They are tools to help you get where you want to go. When you’re experiencing frustration in an any area of your life, it usually means there is an old belief system that needs to be updated and when you’re being triggered in any area of your life, it usually means someone or something has contradicted one of your beliefs.

So here are some tips to help you rewire yours to help you have your own breakthrough:

1. Identify the belief that is no longer serving you. 

2. Weaken that belief by looking for evidence of the contrary to prove to yourself that belief is no longer true.

3. Override that belief by getting clear on the new one you want to keep thinking, the one that is going to help you get to your next level. Write it out daily as an affirmation until you believe it. Get as much proof and evidence as required to convince yourself of the new belief when you have doubts.

And if you’re struggling to get your head around your new belief just remember that you believed in Santa for 10-years, so beliefs can change! They’re just thoughts, not facts.

So in saying that personally right now, I’m working on: 

• Continuing to look for evidence to prove that money, success, and business can be easy.

• Writing and reading my new affirmation daily - Let it be easy. My business and wealth continue to grow with ease while I focus on joy!

• I will stop asking people what do they do for work when getting to know them and instead ask them questions like ‘What do you do for fun? What do you want to consciously create this year? What do you dream about? What are you passionate about? 

• Likewise, when people ask me what I do - I will respond with ‘Do you mean with my time or for money?’

I hope this serves you! If it reminded you of a gf or bizz bestie be sure to forward it to them too!

A big thanks again for sharing my 28th lap around the sun with me…it’s been wild! Excited to see what the next 12 months have in store for us all!

Love always your biggest cheerleader and friend,

Morning Rituals: How to take responsibility for your state

Plenty of the women I mentor are curious about how I start my day, and I’m always asked about my morning routine (especially on featured podcasts - it seem’s to be a favourite rapid fire question). To be honest, I didn’t really have a meaningful morning routine when I had a full-time job. I didn’t even really become aware of the importance of starting your day with purposeful rituals until I started my own business. Before then, like many people, I would roll out of bed, get ready for work and go through the same motions every day – without having any real intention about how I wanted the rest of the day to follow. 

Mindset is everything…

My mindset has really evolved over the last four years, and I definitely notice a difference the days I do my morning routine, and the days I don’t. My mornings are by no means perfect. My practices won’t be for everyone, either. But I am hoping that by giving you an insight into my rituals, you’ll be able to create your own (I shared these tips on my IG TV earlier this week if you would love to listen instead of read).

Credit: Lauren Kerr Babes in Business - Standing near Garden

MORNING ROUTINES ARE ABOUT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY… 

It’s incredible how many people can start their day feeling really inspired and excited yet finish their day in a completely different frame of mind.  I’ve noticed that having a morning routine helps me be more responsible rather than reactive. These seemingly small actions can make such a difference when it comes to having control over your intention and your mood. 

It's all about getting started, so here is an insight into my mornings:

No-phones in the bedroom…

Try sleeping with your phone outside of your bedroom. A lot of us are bringing our phone into the bedroom at night, we’re leaving it next to us, and we’re sitting in the scroll hole long after we intended to go to sleep. When our alarms go off in the morning, we’re hitting snooze before going back into the scroll-hole again. 

That is quite possibly the worst way you can start your day! Hopping on your phone first thing in the morning can make you feel really low because you’re already beating yourself up and playing the comparison game without even being conscious about it. When you start your day worried about trying to meet societies unrealistic standards of success and beauty, you’re never going to start your day feeling inspired, abundant or fuelled to make accomplishments with your day.

Turn notifications off… 

Even when we sleep with our phones in another room, the first thing we see when we eventually pick it up is the stream of notifications that came in overnight. You’ll see who liked your photo, who posted on Instagram, the latest work email or even just a string of news updates. 

Stay Focused…

The key to running my online business is that I never turn any of my notifications on – it’s the only way I can stay sane! I might have one hundred messages between Instagram, Facebook, Emails, Telegram and Whatsapp, but I don’t actually know. 

When we turn our notifications off, our phones become a tool that we use, rather than a tool that uses us. It gives us the freedom to set up our day and create our own intentions before other people try and tell us what to do and how to spend our time. This is particularly important first thing in the morning because it will set a good standard for the rest of the day.

Credit: Lauren Kerr Babes in Business - Standing stretching on the beach

Get Moving… 

Movement is such an essential part of my morning. It doesn’t really matter how I move my body, but I think the importance of moving comes down to the release of endorphins which naturally make you feel better. Movement increases your serotonin, decreases your cortisol levels and its often when we feel most inspired, creative and confident. 

Whether it’s a slow walk, yoga, the gym, run or a swim, it’s helpful to find something you enjoy. This part of your day should not be about punishing your body but about celebrating the fact that you can move it.

Start Meditating… 

If you’re new to meditation, this might sounds a bit strange or uncomfortable, but I promise that meditation is probably the number one thing you can do when it comes to your mental health. Our brains are just like our biceps – It’s a muscle that needs to be nurtured and cared for. 

Too many of us aren’t using the muscle; we’re letting the muscle use us. Instead of hating your brain for always comparing you to other people, worrying or for constantly running a million miles an hour, we need to be grateful that it’s doing that. It’s doing it’s job. You don’t get angry at your bicep for helping you carry the groceries up the stairs do you?

Self Talk…

We also need to realise that those thoughts aren’t us. They are just your muscle’s by product. Those thoughts are your brain’s self-talk, who you are is the spirit / soul / heart listening to the self-talk and observing it…and it’s essential to separate the two.

Meditation helps your quieten your mind, which is the first step in separating yourself from the noise going on. Your brain is never going to stop whirling through all those thoughts at once. Meditation is a rare opportunity for you to have a moment to yourself, to drown out the noise, get out of your head and connect with your heart.

It can feel a bit awkward or funny to get started, so I would suggest using an app to get started. The meditations and masterclasses inside our program the Healthstyle Emporium have really helped me. A free app that I also love is ‘Insight Timer’.  It’s a great place to start with 2-minute guided meditations, and you can quite quickly build your way up to 10 minutes or even longer (30 minutes guided mediation is about as long as I can go!)

Credit: Lauren Kerr Babes in Business - Meditating on the beach

Simple steps to help your morning routine

The most successful morning routines are often the ones that build on small but meaningful rituals, just like these. When I make an effort to wake up a little earlier, sleep without my phone, have my notifications switched off and then move my body and meditate, nourish my body with whole foods - the change in my mindset for the rest of the day is truly incredible.

SET INTENTIONS FOR BIGGER GOALS 

After I finish my morning routines, I like to set my intentions. While I’m a big fan of goal setting, I’m also mindful of making sure I’m living in alignment with my goals and highest values every single day.  

You can try our free happiness test, and this is a really great tool to help you work out what your five highest values are. I do this test every year because your values are going to change. You evolve and change as you interact with life, meet new people and have new experiences. 

When I do the test at the start of the year and work out what my values are, I set goals under each of the values. Some of them are big goals to achieve, and some of them are little goals to help maintain my efforts in certain aspects of my life. 

These goals are then printed and stuck on my bathroom mirror. That means that after I finish moving my body, meditating and going through my morning routine, I’ll start getting ready for the day in the bathroom and while I do that, I am literally looking straight at my goals. 

How many people do you know that set goals at the start of the year but then forget about them? Maybe you’re one of those people! Well, it’s pretty hard to forget my goals when I see them every day!

Seeing these goals is a really good way to check in with myself each morning, and ensure I’m making at least one step each day to move closer towards one of those goals. These mini-check ins will also make you feel like you have purpose, direction, progress and momentum. 

Checking in to make sure that I also am living in alignment with my values everyday helps ensure that I happily achieve - instead of feeling the need to achieve to be happy.

START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL 

My journaling takes me about five to ten minutes every morning, and it’s an opportunity for me to write down what I am grateful for. If I don’t do this in the morning, I like to come back to it at night. 

This gratitude journal means that not only am I setting intentions and being responsible for my mood and my state, but I am also really grounding myself and ensuring that I am still in the present. In the 21st Century, we’re all operating at such a high speed that we can miss what’s happening right in front of us. 

When we’re too focussed on the future or the goals we’ve set, we will live in a state of unconscious anxiety and comparison, where we never feel like we’re good enough or where we ‘are supposed’ to be. The only way to manage the two opposing ways of thinking is to ensure we make time to ground in the present too.

When you find the balance, you’ll discover that you actually get more done in less time because you’re in flow and present giving your best, rather than multi-tasking and being scattered feeling like you’re constantly trying to catch up and get where you need to be.

USE MUSIC TO FEEL THE FEELS NOW

If you want to play around with your morning routine, music is another epic option. I go through certain seasons of my life where I'm really focussed on a specific goal, or I find myself in a strategic imbalance because I'm really hustling for something.

If you've read my book, you'll know about neurolinguistic programming and the importance of certain things like vision boards, visualisation, mental rehearsal and music. If you can tap into certain senses, your body actually doesn't know the difference between you thinking you're doing something and you actually doing it. 

A really cool way to be in charge of your state and energy is emotionally connecting with your vision board as part of your morning ritual, or finding a song that emotionally charges you.

There is this one song, and every time it plays, I have this vision of me achieving specific goals, and it leaves me feeling so fired up and passionate and makes those dreams feel so much closer as I can embody all those emotions now - through the music. 

If you can find a song that has an effect on you like that, it will bring about the emotions you want now. This will make you achieve your goals quicker because it's almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy and gets you taking the inspired action that the ‘next level’ version of you would take as you start to tap into that energy and state now.

You'll be just a little bit bolder, you will have the courage to take action you might not have usually taken, and you show up in the world with the same level of conviction, posture and confidence as that next level of you who has everything they need within them to make those dreams a reality. Time just needs to catch up.

This is how manifestation works. Connect and feel those feelings now. Experience the depth of your life, not just the breadth.

Enjoy playing around with your morning routine, if you do try some of these strategies let me know how you go. I love hearing from you guys. Make your mornings sacred. Prioritise them and protect them. Get excited to have 30 juicy minutes to yourself first thing in the morning before everyone else try’s to take them from you.

Send this to a girlfriend that may need a little reminder to put herself first, first!
Chat soon,

Short Term Satisfaction VS Long Term Gratification

Hello beautiful people, 

I hope you’ve had an awesome start to your week! 

After having a chuckle about the realisation that I now own a dog worth more than my shit-box (but loyal) car, I wanted to jump online to talk to you about:

The difference between short-term satisfaction and long-term gratification 

The car I drive around in now is a little Mazda 3 sport that I bought when I got my first job out of university seven years ago.  It’s not that I can’t afford a new one - the income that I create each month means I could buy four of my cars each month - it’s just that I don’t need one because I don’t drive anywhere. I work from home, I live near the beach, and on the weekend, we can get around in my husband’s car. 

This decision not to buy a new car comes from my financial literacy, and passion for educating women about their financial literacy too.

Living beyond our means. 

There are plenty of people that create a lifestyle based on how much money they make. These people feel like when they start earning more money, they need to up their lifestyle to match.

  It might sound like a good idea at the time, yet in reality, all they end up doing is getting caught in a trap where they never actually have financial freedom.

The more money they make the more they consume…the bigger mortgage, the newer car, the more expensive holiday or designer wardrobe just means the money flows out of the bank account almost as quick as it comes in.

One of the things that used to motivate and inspire me when I was first starting my business and knew that I was in charge of my own income was my excitement to be able to buy a little Jeep Wrangler for myself.

I still am excited to make the big purchase one day (although I have been warned it’s a horrible car and not realistic for a future family), but I haven’t yet because I also know that it’s not really a smart decision. It would give me the short-term satisfaction, but not the long-term gratification. 

At first, I would be like:

“This is so awesome!” (AKA I am so awesome *cough cough* look at me and what I bought all by myself)

“I love this” 

“I want the sun on my face, the wind in my hair and to live it up!”

But after a few weeks, those feelings would fade, and whether I bought the car outright or leased it to reduce my taxable income, there are so many other things that would give me a much higher return on my investment.

Have you made a decision like that before? You’re not alone!

We’re in a generation of consumerism, quick fixes, and we want everything now. We often overleverage ourselves or buy our way into incredibly expensive lifestyles that we can’t actually afford. When we chase these short term gratifications, we’re more likely to put things on credit, take out a loan, use afterpay, borrow money or overextend ourselves to buy the things we think we need, rather than saving up until we have enough to buy it with our own savings. 

Going beyond just the price tag, it’s also important to consider if the big purchase is actually going to give you what you’re looking for. Is it going to provide you with joy in the long run? Will you feel satisfied after the purchase, or will your focus turn to the next thing on your wish-list?

If you’ve read my book you’ll know happiness in habitual. The more you have, the more you want. Hence why it’s called the ‘the pursuit of happiness’. Sop make sure you’re not trying to find your happiness in the wrong things.

Seeking short-term gratification goes beyond your bank account.

I think many people, especially women in our age group, have this issue in their relationships. Everyone has that friend (or it could be you!) that keeps jumping from one relationship to the next.

Often, it’s because they’re too tempted by the short-term satisfaction of lust, sex or passion, rather than the intimacy, trust and loyalty that comes with the delayed gratification of overcoming triumphs together, being vulnerable, learning how to forgive, compromise or have those uncomfortable conversations in the first place.

This trait applies to your health too.

I know a lot of people head to the gym or go on a diet for the short-term gratification of wanting to “lose those last few kilos” or “get a bikini body in time for summer”.

What ends up happening is that they find the quick fix or fad, get the results they want, and then three months later the weight is all back on because they didn’t have the drive to ditch the short-term gratification for the long-term satisfaction of learning how to have ongoing healthy habits.

The result? Well, that yo-yo lifestyle could lead to plenty of long-term health issues! 

Searching for short-term rewards even comes into your diet. After a shitty day at work, many of us head straight to the pantry to treat ourselves to whatever we can get our hands-on. When I used to work in child protection services, my go-to reward after a long, stressful and exhausting day was to stop on the way home and buy myself an entire tub of cookie dough – I’d finish it before I even got home too! It gave me the short-term gratification of treating myself, but it didn’t do me any favours in the long run.

Getting down to business. 

I am so passionate about teaching women this theory and helping them apply it to their business or professional life. I mentor thousands of women in our Babes in Business community, and it plays a massive role in our network marketing structure because we learn to stop trading time for money. 

Yes, we still get the short term satisfaction of the ‘now’ money with retail profit, commissions and bonuses…but we also get to start creating long-term wealth strategies with multiple income streams when we are able to delay that gratification and have a long term vision and build a business that compounds over years and continues you pay you long term well after the ‘work’ you once did.

It’s a strange concept for anyone living in the Western world, as it’s the way we’re groomed to think from a very young age. When you join a network marketing company, you learn to ditch the mindset of doing something today because you’re going to be rewarded for it today. We discover that having the long-term vision and delayed gratification is so much more rewarding and beneficial in the bigger picture. 

Through Babes In Business, we talk a lot about having residual income streams. Having a residual income stream allows you to have the freedom and flexibility that I’ve created for myself in the four years since I started my business so I am no longer trading my time for money…but it took time and delayed gratification to be able to build that.

However a lot of women my age, especially the younger girls on social media just don’t know about the behind-the-scenes of someone else’s life or business, and they only see the rewards and highlights reels online - hence why they don’t see the power in delayed gratification or persistence when they can just have the comfort of instant satisfaction instead.

We’re not having the conversations or providing the education to understand the hard work that went into getting to that point. We don’t acknowledge the transition from the starting point when someone was putting in the effort and not necessarily getting the results, to where they are now. 

The delayed gratification of committing to still showing up, being consistent and doing the work even if you can’t see the results today because you know something better is coming and worth while long-term.

Improving Financial Literacy.

Improving financial literacy is the key to breaking down this disconnect. There are so many different ways to earn an income. You can have a job, and still create a long-term wealth creation strategy on the side. There are some avenues that take time and capital, like investing in property or buying stocks and shares, and there are other choices, like network marketing that let you earn the income by doing the work or like I like to call ‘sweat’ equity or investment. 

When I started out, I had time on my side, but I didn’t have the money in my pocket. By ditching the desire for short-term gratification and focusing on my long-term vision, I got to where I am today. The result is a lifestyle of fulfilling relationships, happiness, flexibility, health and wealth.

The research. 

With my background in psychology, I’m always keen to back things up research, statistics and facts. In fact, there is an entire chapter in my book dedicated to breaking down the researching into long-term gratification. This chapter talks about a study called the Marshmallow Study, which has been replicated time and time again - you might have even seen it in the Instagram ‘marshmallow challenge’ that Kylie Jenner recently did with her daughter. 

Basically, the longitudinal studies shows that the kids with the ability to wait for the long-term gratification (the ones that can wait for two marshmallows, rather than eating one straight away) end up being more successful later in life. They often have better relationships, improved university marks, higher income, lower likelihood of being in domestic violent relationships, substance misuse and enjoy an improved mental health. 

It is crazy how powerful this is! And you can bring it into your life too. 

Start by looking at your own life and questioning where you are seeking short-term gratification, rather than focussing on the bigger picture?  Once you acknowledge the behaviours, it’s much easier to address them or make changes. 

If this is new to you (especially in regards to your money and wealth creation) we’ve created a new side hustle guide – which you can find here. It’s a free guide to educate you on all the ways you can earn an income.

There are so many different choices and vehicles, and this guide will empower you to find the right one for your lifestyle, goals and vision. Also, a great book if you want to be empowered and educated to make better decisions around money so you aren't tempted by 'short term satisfaction' is the 'millionaire next door' by Thomas J. Stanley.

Think small steps, commit to just taking one step at a time, but focus on the big picture and keep your eyes on that long term prize gf!

Chat soon,

Our Wedding Video arrived!

Hello lovely, how are you?

I wanted to drop in and see how you're going. I know it's a crazy time in the world at the moment. I hope you're staying safe and healthy. I also know it is a stressful time financially for a lot of families and small businesses right now, so I just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

If you are at home being quarantined right now (welcome to my life! haha working from home nothing has really changed for me!)... I am sure you have been scrolling the news feed and feeling heavy and fearful with the media's scare tactics, so I am hoping this is something fun and light to lift your spirits and energy. 

We just got our wedding video back and I am on cloud nine!

How good is love? And friends and family! My heart is so full, I want to go back and do it again. You can check out my previous blog for all the details including vendors, prices, locations and advice for any future brides to be planning their special day. A massive thank you to Beccy at BXCSMXTH you're a wizard behind the camera and we so grateful you captured all the special moments.

While most people are stressing out right now I wanted to challenge your mindset to see this time as an opportunity...

• it’s the perfect opportunity to ring that friend ⠀

• it’s perfect opportunity to read that book  ⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to catch up on that webinar (P.S we had one on moon tracking inside the HSE this week) 

• it’s the perfect opportunity to order that wholefood product you’ve been pushing aside for months to boost your immune system 

• it’s the perfect opportunity to check in with your mum and dad ⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to pay off your mortgage whilst interest rates are low 

• it’s the perfect opportunity to look at getting into the stock market (what goes down must come up)

• it’s the perfect opportunity to rest ⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on your work and lifestyle and ask if you’re really happy? ⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to work on your side hustle ⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to write your content⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to start looking into creating an additional income stream 

• it’s the perfect opportunity to start looking into working online.... have you looked into Babes in Business yet? ⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to try that recipe ⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to watch that documentary ⠀

• it’s the perfect opportunity to practise kindness, compassion and gratitude ⠀

⠀
Sending all my love and light (because let's face it, the world needs more of it right now)

Our Byron Bay Boho Wedding; all the details.

Hey beautiful people! I hope you’re having a great start to 2020. Can you believe we are already half way through February? It’s crazy how fast time is flying. We got our wedding photos back last week and my heart is full reminiscing on our magical day, with our nearest and dearest.

After sharing our photos with our friends and family I thought it was only fair I kept my promise and shared all the details with you too (especially for you engaged ladies out there planning weddings - I know there is lots to organise and things we want to pick other brides brains about), so hopefully this helps.

Before I do share all the highlights - you guys know I am all about being real and raw. I don't just want to show you the perfect bits of life (because let’s be honest- that’s not reality). And despite our day honestly being the best day of our lives and everything we could have wished for (which is the honest truth)… everything leading up to it was pretty much a disaster!

No word of a lie - it was a shit fight!

You know how they say planning a wedding can be ‘stressful’? Well I think I got to experience that on a whole new level! I am a positive ‘get shit done’ kind of girl, but I would be lying if I said this didn’t test me. I won’t go into too much detail (maybe a VLOG for another day) BUT just to put some things in perspective, I will summarise it for you.

THE BLOOPERS

• We booked our wedding at the Fig Tree 18 months prior, after falling in love with it at first sight. It was slightly out of our budget, but it was gorgeous, so we paid our deposit and worked out a way to make it work, and then started saving.

• A few months later The Fig Tree lost its licensing for outdoor dining, which was a massive reason why we booked the venue, wanting our dinner to be under the stars. We were a little disappointed but it was still a beautiful venue so we changed our vision and kept our booking.

• Six weeks before our wedding, (after we had finally finished all the planning and started to relax and get excited for the countdown) the Fig Tree Venue burnt down and we had to find a new venue (for the Wednesday before Christmas) and plan a new wedding in 6 weeks. We honestly contemplated calling the wedding off, but we had friends and family who were flying in from all around the world to be in Byron Bay for that day.

• The Kombi van we had organised for our wedding canceled on us 4 weeks out. 

• The owner of the AirBNB we had organised for our bridal party to stay in the week of the wedding decided to sell 3 weeks out. 

• The week before the wedding I twisted my ankle.

• The week of the wedding Jetstar went on strike and some of our guests flying in had to book new flights to ensure they would get there for the day.

• And then a few days out, a vendor that we had never spoken to, that was involved with the new venue, contacted us to chase up an invoice we had no knowledge of, or had agreed to. This was never part of our budget (which had already blown out over the series of unfortunate events!) and caused Dan a few anxious moments!

WHAT IT TAUGHT ME

In saying this - I don’t want to turn you off. The day honestly was the best day of our lives (the photos are amazing, and reflect the many memories we will cherish from the day) but they still don’t do the vibe and energy any justice. I can’t wait to share the wedding video with you when we get it!

I would do it all over again in a heart beat and it was a really good reminder of what the day was about in the first place. LOVE. We knew we would never get the opportunity to have all our friends and family, that are scattered all around the globe, together in one place (and in such a beautiful location) ever again, (unless maybe at our funeral) and we wouldn’t even be there to enjoy it!

The process built my belief in Dan and I as a team, and our ability to lean on each other when life throws a few challenges at us (which it will continue to do so). I was grateful for the process because it shook me, reminded me that I am not in control and to not be attached to things or objects.

All that matters is family, friends, love, experiences and memories. I was so so grateful that on our day we both had our immediate families there, happy and healthy, to spend our wedding day with us, and for that alone - we are truly blessed and I would choose our ‘challenges’ out of a hat any day!

THE NIGHT BEFORE

Most of our guests arrived a couple of days before the wedding. Dan had organised a boys day playing golf, then headed to the the Stone and Wood brewery whilst us ladies sat by the pool eating cheese, biscuits and drinking cocktails (my fav).

The night before we had a dinner with all our guests who had flown in at the Tree House in Byron Bay. We had wood fire pizzas, along with a drink or two, before I left with my mum and the bridesmaids. We stayed at the Fig Tree the night before (as the dairy accommodation hadn’t burnt down, just the restaurant) and left Dan and the boys at our airBNB.

THE DRESS + VEIL (P.S I am selling these if you would like them).

I went dress shopping with my mum and my best friends a year before the wedding (I would suggest doing this as soon as you can as most places suggest at least 6-9 months turn around to make/order your dress).

We went to a few shops… I knew my style and that I wanted to feel flowy, boho, hippy and carefree (and just be me!) I had always known that the Grace Loves Lace dresses symbolised my personality (and everyone had always said that they saw me in one of their dresses).

Mum begged me to try on the Alexandra dress, which I honestly did just for her because it wasn't what I saw myself in… yet it was the only dress that I lit up in and felt like ‘the one’ when I tried it on.

It’s so true what they say, you might have a picture in your mind but you often end up in the complete opposite! I opted for the 120 cm train in Ivory. It was perfect, boho, elegant and had a butt tussle so I could dance (and you know that’s always my number 1 priority!)

I wanted the best of both worlds: to feel like me with my hair down with a flower crown, but also feel elegant and timeless with my hair up with a veil. So my Girlfriend Chani gifted me with her 3 metre cathedral length ‘Chani’ Veil from Made with Love, which I wore for the ceremony then let my hair down afterwards!

BRIDESMAID DRESSES

I knew I wanted all natural earthy tones and I wanted all of us girls to feel stunning but more relaxed like the ‘girl next door vibe’. So loose curls, natural make up and a champagne or oyster coloured dress. We had 2 hours together in Melbourne and were on a mission.

We found the perfect dresses in Shieke. Not just because it was what I envisioned, but because it fitted my besties perfectly. All four of them have sexy curves and great butts! It also hugged them in the right spots! I was pretty chill and said wear whatever jewellery and shoes you like as long as the heels were beige.

THE FLOWERS

I have no idea about flowers! I spent hours looking on Pinterest to work out what I liked and then tried to find a florist who could make it happen. Despite starting to look for vendors 12 months out, I had difficulty finding someone who was available that day.

Therefore, couldn’t go with anyone that had been recommended to me. However, I stumbled across a beautiful lady named Kerilyn from Lavish Floral Design Gold Coast, who understood my vision and put together a quote that was reasonable compared to the ones I had seen online.

I had no idea flowers could be so expensive! She told me to trust her and leave it up to her. I did and I was so happy with them. She delivered and put together our bridal bouquets, a throw away posie, button holes for the boys and my dad, my flower crown and flowers/vases for the tables.

Originally, we weren’t going to have an arbor because the big Fig Tree branches created one naturally, but with the new venue we opted to get a tipi arbor. So Kerilyn made two flower features for that as-well.

THE HAIR

I have had so many compliments on our hair and make up with people asking for referrals, but I didn’t get professionals to do either! One of my best friends Sarah has always been great with hair as a dance teacher, so we had a hair trial and played around with it a few weeks before the wedding. She came over to share the morning with the girls (gotta love some girl time!), helped us get ready and did our hair.

THE MAKE UP

I never really wear make up or pay to have it done professionally, and when it has been for other peoples weddings, Dan has never liked it on me. So I didn’t see the point in paying to get my makeup done, however my bestie and bridesmaid Gretchen - loves that shit!

It’s her jam and does it for fun! So a few months before the wedding when I was visiting her, she played around and we bought a palette from Mecca with all the natural peachy tones I wanted and she did mine and all the bridesmaids makeup. She rocked it with a champagne in her hand and time to spare!

THE GROOM AND HIS MEN 

To be honest Dan dresses better than me, so I let him organise the boys. I think he always looks sexy in suspenders so I suggested that, but he did the rest. We looked on Pinterest for some styles he liked.

We wanted to keep it in the earthy tones, and be mindful the boys wouldn’t want jackets, as it was on a Wednesday in mid December, in the height of the Australian summer (so it’s hot!). Dan got his jacket and pants from Politix, the shirts from Country Road, shoes from Universal and belts from Myer.

THE WEDDING VENUE

When The Fig Tree burnt down, Byron Bay Weddings (who we had booked through initially) helped us find an alternative venue. To be honest there wasn't much available with limited notice and being the week before Christmas (we were lucky it was on a Wednesday), however we had previously viewed The Byron View Farm, and although it was a little out of our budget, they did as much as they could to help us transition everything we had already organised to this venue. I couldn’t fault it!

It was a little tricky, as with the Fig Tree everything was pretty much included being a restaurant already. But with the Byron View Farm…it was just that. A farm. So every chair, table, knife, fork, light, serviette, bin etc had to be hired in.

Byron Bay Weddings did an amazing job organising it all, setting it up and helping us with styling. All we had to do was show up on the day! So like I said the lead up to the wedding was chaos but the day itself was stress free. We didn't have to lift a finger and we ended up with the ‘dining under the stars’ after-all! The universe works in mysterious ways.  

OUR RINGS + VOWS

Both Dan and I wrote our own vows and wanted thick gold wedding bands. We got the rings specially made with some gold that I had inherited over the years in jewellery I would probably never wear.

This was particularly special as it makes the rings even more sentimental having been passed down through generations… not to mention also cheaper. So something I suggest looking into if you have some old gold jewellery laying around the house!

THE CELEBRANT 

Our good friend Anthony (who has become such a big part of our lives since being together) is great with words, speaking and bringing people together to create experiences. He actually isn’t an official ‘celebrant’ but he had run the ceremony for our friends Chani and Matt who got married the year prior and we loved how he did it.

Dan and I aren’t particularly religious but we definitely have faith and wanted spirituality as part of our ceremony - but more than anything we wanted it to be intimate, personal and interactive. We also wanted to involve all of our beautiful friends and family that have been weaved into our love story ….which he delivered (like we knew he would).

It was the best ceremony I have ever been to (and I am not even being biased!) haha. We also had an official celebrant there on the day, Christina Blanchard was so easy to work with and let Ant run the show, whilst she took care of all the official paper work!

THE CAKE

I don’t like cake so I didn’t see the point in me spending heaps of money for everyone to enjoy something I don’t! Its my wedding, I am paying for it and I don’t like cake! BUT I DO LOVE DONUTS!!! haha! So we just bought 80 Krispy Kremes and my girlfriend Caity, who is amazing at cakes (you need to check her out), did her thing and made it look pretty. That was really all I did and her being the wizard she is - did the rest! She is the best!! P.S I was having too much fun I didn’t even get a donut in the end!. 

THE VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER

I am all about vibes. So when I was looking for a photographer and videographer online, I stumbled across Beccy at BXCSMXTH and immediately decided I had to have her! I love her stuff. It always looked fun and real rather than too glossy, posed or glorified.

Having her there on our day was even more special as her energy is beautiful and makes everyone feel comfortable (especially Dan who hates photos and rarely smiles in any I have with him… if you follow me on social media and watch my stories you know this!). She was lots of fun, we even begged her to stay and party with us!

THE MUSIC

When planning the wedding I turned to Facebook and asked friends for recommendations when it came to vendors. A friend from university recommended Josh Lovegrove. We did our social media stalking (like you do) and loved his tone! I’m an old soul and grew up on James Taylor and Josh sounds just like him, so I was sold.

He was amazing! He played acoustic and does some crazy looping. All our guests commented on how much they enjoyed his music. We had him play for three hours as canapés and Pimms were being served, whilst guests mingled and played lawn games.

We made our own playlist, which was playing over the AV whilst dinner was served and in between speeches. THEN IT WAS PARTY TIME! We had all our guests RSVP with their favourite song that they were committed to dancing to, so everyone was up and boogyinggggg!

I walked down to aisle to: Paper Kites by Bloom

Our first dance was to: Babylon by Boyce Avenue 

I danced with my dad to: You’ve got a friend by James Taylor

The last song of the night was a family anthem (such a special moment): Jackson Browne: The Load out

THE TRANSPORT 

We knew how difficult it was going to be, getting all our guests to the Byron View Farm with taxis and Ubers in Byron. It’s a pretty small town and crazy busy at that time of the year. Also, not that any of our guests would drive because we like to parttyyyy and drink, but even if they did, there was limited car parks on site.

So we organised A double decker love bus (London Style), which seemed fitting considering Dan is from the UK and all his family had flown in from London. We asked our guests to bring $10 each if they wanted to be picked up from two locations in town. It would pick them up and drop them off at the end of the night (if they were going home).

We had organised an after party venue at The Bolt Hole in town for those who wanted to party on! As a dancer (and most of my friends are too), I hate when I leave a wedding and it’s just starting to get going with good music… then I have to go to bed - so we didn't! We kept partying and dancing the night away.

We did end up organising a new Kombi van through Byron Bay Kombi’s, which picked me and the Bridesmaids up from the Fig Tree and took us up to the Byron View Farm. We were hiding inside in the cottage with Champagne as all the guests arrived in the bus. We also had the Kombi for photos after the ceremony. 

THE FOOD + ALCOHOL

When we were picking venues Dan was pretty chill, he just wanted me to be happy (you know what they say a happy wife, happy life haha). But the only thing he really wanted was good food. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing but him and his family have always really appreciated good restaurants.

Whilst me and my family on the other hand… if there’s alcohol there, we are good! So that was another reason we chose The Fig Tree Restaurant. Even with the change of venues, The Fig Tree were still able to cater for us at Byron View Farm.

Byron Bay Weddings helped us work out how much alcohol to bring for 76 guests as it was BYO we just had to pay for corkage and their staff would serve it. My only request was Espresso Martinis and Pimms!

When we had our guests RSVP they replied with their dietary requirements and their alcohol of choice, which helped us cater rather than guessing. We did well - the alcohol kept flowing all night, I never saw an empty glass and everyone loved the food!

The Fig Tree were great at catering for dietary requirements too which helped, as we have lots of health conscious friends including vegans, vegetarians and even the coeliacs were able to enjoy a feast!

Canapés - to begin 

• Byron bay mozzarella, basil oil, fresh fig (GF) 

• Mushroom & truffle Arancini

• Ballina prawns, garlic & lemon (GF, DF) 

• Grilled chicken skewers, mirin and ginger (GF, DF) 

Mains - served on platters for guests to share 

• Dutch cream gnocchi, pumpkin & sage (GF, DF) 

• Bangalow Sweet Pork, apples & eschallot (GF, DF) 

• Lamb shoulder, celery, mint & pomegranate (GF, DF) 

Sides - to share 

• Garden carrots, thyme & rosemary (GF, DF) 

• Puy lentils, leeks & red wine (GF) 

• Rocket, roast vegetables & Persian feta (GF) 

Sweet canapés 

• Figtree chocolate and raspberry brownie (Vegan, DF) 

• Garden citrus frangipane tart 

WHAT DID IT COST?

I know a lot of the time, the thing on most brides minds planning the wedding, is money - despite not feeling comfortable enough to talk to others or out right ask about it. But as you know I am an open book, and I don’t think its fair to talk about all the amazing stuff without also talking about how much it cost to make it happen.

Like I explained at the start we knew it was going to be expensive going into it, but we also got clear on why we were doing it and what we wanted it to be for us. What we were willing to spend the money on and where we were willing to try and save.

All up the wedding cost close to $40,000 AUD. We got clarification on the final quote (before all the mishaps) around 12 months out and then we altered our budget to make sure we were saving $800 a week to be able to afford it.

We wanted to pay cash and not have to get a loan, or put ourselves in debt, all for one day. Which I know most people have to do, so I am not ignorant or unaware of how fortunate we are to have built our businesses to a point we knew that we could afford that.

My Mum and Dad wanted to buy my dress and flowers, and Dan’s parents helped us by hosting an after party BBQ the day after the wedding.. 

SOME OF MY FAVOURITE MAGICAL MOMENTS:

So many people had given us advice before the wedding day, to ensure we were present and to take opportunities throughout the day, to stand back and take it all in, as it goes so quick.

I am actually really proud of us because despite being present and amongst it all, we had lots of moments together experiencing it, as what could have seemed like a third party observer looking at the bigger picture. Just being so grateful and having our hearts explode with love for how big of a deal it was for people to travel from far and wide, from around the world, with two families, multiple countries, two lives with lots of different chapters - all coming together smiling, dancing, laughing and having fun.

This combined with my love for my new husband was a feeling I can’t explain and why I would do it all over again and can’t put a price tag on it!

I had a reveal in the cottage before my ceremony with my Mum, Dad and two brothers and it was such a beautiful moment. I don’t have words for it. The photo’s captured some special memories but the real water works started once the photographer had left the room and my Mum and Dad broke down (I had never seen my dad cry like that before). They had me, my brothers and the bridesmaids all in tears!

Our MC and best mate Casey, had organised the King boys VS the Kerr boys in an AUS VS POM boat race as it was equal teams (…we both have two brothers!) It was the funniest thing to see as I thought my family had it in the bag for sure (… considering Dan had never seen his Dad skull a beer in his life!), but it seems like Australia brings out the best in all of us and it was a dead heat!

At the end of the night the last song, ‘the load out’ played by Jackson Browne (the photographers had left so it wasn’t captured). This song holds a special meaning to my family. We had our arms around each other swaying together and belting out every lyric whilst the rest of the guests had no idea what was going on but could feel the love and created a circle around us. It was one of those moments that gave me goosebumps. 

The Love bus (double decker bus) on the way home was PUMPING! It was so much fun! I think we were all jacked up on espresso martinis - it was like a two level night club. The bottom level was fun where everyone was singing and dancing… then you went upstairs and it was NEXT LEVEL! I could have just partied on the bus and never gone anywhere and still have had the best day! 

So my advice… LET GO + TRUST

As cliche as it sounds, it all happened for a reason. The day was a fairytale. We ended up having the day we had originally envisioned - it might not have been the way we planned it but sometimes the universe knows better than we think we do.

NEW VLOG UP 🎥 Follow us to Nice, FRANCE 🇫🇷 🍷🥖

PART 2 OUR EUROTRIP VLOG IS LIVE
Follow us to Nice, FRANCE!

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝟵 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿!

Amsterdam, Paris, Greek Islands, Nice, UK and Australia just to name a few, but to be honest as long as we are together we find something to laugh at and entertain ourselves!

This is part two of our recent Eutrotrip where we got to create some magical moments with one of my best friends and her family in France - with lots of food, sunshine and laughs (which I'm sure you will be able to chuckle at too and admire how beautiful the French Riveria is!)

These kind of friendships make you have to believe in the universe having some master plan for the people that walk into our lives.

It was no coincidence Cloé moved from France to a small country town in Australia 15 years ago and hated this girl called “Lauren” ....and now will be walking down the isle with that same crazy girl in less than 5 months as one of my beautiful bridesmaids on my special day.

I love having these VLOGS as a way to travel back through time and revisit some of the best days of our lives with our nearest and dearest. These memories are so special to me that I wanted to share them with you too!

Enjoy!

Money is important - but time is the real currency…

Time is something you can never ever get back - and I am forever grateful for the time and flexibility I have been able to buy for myself and our future family in three short years of working online.

I am excited for the next 50 years of more magical moments like this with the amazing people people we have been blessed to have in our lives.

Just a reminder that we are closing recruitment in two weeks and are holding interviews next week for women who would love to join the Babes in Business Team…

Reply to this email if you would love me to send you some information to see if it could be a way you could create more time for the important people and things in your life too! Or lets chat up for a virtual coffee date!

How I bought more time / UK + Croatia Vlog

It’s crazy our quickly life can change when you decide you want to change it…

I am leaving Europe with such a full heart of gratitude. We have spent the last three weeks not only slowing down, relaxing and enjoying being lazy lizards under the European sun but also spending some quality time with some of our nearest and dearest.

I still pinch myself because three years ago I wouldn’t of been able to afford this trip (especially when we are getting married this year and have also been to Dubai, Bali, California and Dans off to NZ next week for his bucks party - all in the last 7 months ) but.... the biggie is I wouldn’t have the leave.  

Before Babes in Business…

I just kind of accepted that for the next 50 years I would have to work 48 weeks a year to earn my 4 weeks off and only have my maternity leave to enjoy slowing down and enjoy having a family on my own - which means that unfortunately I would have to miss out on magical moments like these, weddings, Christmas’s with our family overseas, baby’s first steps, travel and some of the things of my bucket list - but hey that’s life right?

Money is important - but time is the real currency…

Time is something you can never ever get back - and I am forever grateful for the time and flexibility I have been able to buy for myself and our future family in three short years of working online. Excited for the next 50 years of more magical moments like this with the amazing people people we have been blessed to have in our lives.

Watch Part 1 of our Eurotrip with our UK

Croatia Vlog where we got celebrate Dan’s mum Mandy’s 60th in Croatia!

We are holding interviews next week for women who would love to join the Babes in Business Team - email us if you would love us to send you some information to see if it could be a way you could create more time for the important people and things in your life too! Or lets chat up for a virtual coffee date!

Hello 2019 you beautiful thing - let's do more with less this year.

Happy New Year Beautiful! 

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and got to enjoy some quality time slowing down with your loved ones!

I know I did! We have had such a beautiful time catching up with our family and friends scattered on the other side of the globe. 

So grateful to live in a time where social media makes the miles feel not so far between and gives us the option to work for ourselves online so we can work anywhere in the world without stressing about not having leave approved and missing out on magical moments with the ones we love the most.

The small things really are the big things!

Las Vegas was all about celebrating, the UK was all about slowing down and relaxing and Dubai was all about defrosting, getting back in the sunshine and out of our comfort zones to explore.  

I promised you guys I would make a VLOG capturing all the fun - so leave it me, it's on my to do list!

Here is some photos from our last day in the Arabian Desert + some reflections I wanted to share with you as you embark on the gift of a New Year.

I've got to be honest with you, as I was sitting here while this picture was taken watching the sunrise over the Arabian Desert; I sat with a heart full of gratitude ....and itchy feet. 

No Place Like Home…

No matter how far and wide I travel, no matter what breath taking things I get to experience ....they serve as a constant reminder that nothing compares to the love and joy I find back home on the Gold Coast in Australia.

Being in love with a simple life of waking up with the sun, in our own beautiful home, next to a man I love, walking down my street to the beach and feeling the sand between my toes and sun on my face every morning, having access to clean water and the luxury to prepare healthy and fresh wholesome foods everyday while I work from home doing something that I love with people who see the world the same as me.

This is honestly what I have discovered is my own personal recipe for happiness and allows me to feel content and fulfilled every night when my head hits the pillow ... the only thing missing was my family.

And this week both my brothers moved to the Gold Coast!!

So it’s safe to say it’s a few days into the New Year and my 2019 has already been everything I have ever wanted (still missing my parents but it's taken 8 years to get the brothers here, so I won't be greedy and will enjoy this first...then I will blackmail mum and dad with grandchildren if nothing else works! haha I am evil).

The last month traveling, eating, drinking and napping was exactly what the soul needed to realign, rejuvenate and refocus.

But I am back feeling recharged and so excited to tick off some more goals and help more women create a life where they get to live and work on their own terms.

I am such a massive believer in goal setting, not just because it's fun and exciting co-creating a life of your wildest dreams BUT it is backed by science to help you bring about what you dream about. Goals are dreams with legs!

If you haven't put some time aside yet to set your intention for this year, or just don't know where to start - I wrote a blog last year to help you if you would love some extra guidance - grab a comfy spot, a pen and notebook and get all those juicy visions on paper!

don’t get too busy…

No matter what goals you do set this year, don’t get too busy chasing them that you forget all that really matters is being love and doing what brings you joy.

All the stuff you choose to fill your day with is your choice, the energy and money you spend chasing your pursuits is your choice.... but if it doesn’t bring you love and joy, all that stuff in between is just noise, don’t buy into it. Do more, with less. 

This story is one of my favourite metaphors that helps me drown out the noise in a world where we constantly are being told we have to be better and go bigger - and remember at the end of the day what it is that truly matters. I hope this serves you this year and helps you make decisions that bring you joy and love.

"An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.  Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.  The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, "but what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos.  I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 – 20 years."

"But what then?" Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, "That’s the best part.  When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!"

"Millions – then what?" Gasped the Mexican,

The American said, "Then you would retire.  Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

The fisherman was puzzled, "Isn’t that what I am doing now?" 

How I ditched the rat race to chase the sun instead

Wow! Where has this year gone?

Only a few weeks until Christmas - 2018 has flown by so quick! I hope you didn't waste the last 12 months you were gifted with and got to create some serious magic and tick off some of those big scary goals of yours. I am just packing my bags to head off on another trip around the world - this time (funnily enough) I am not chasing the sun.

We are heading to Las Vegas …

We are heading to Las Vegas with the Babes in Business Crew for some work (always mixed with pleasure), then London to spend the festive season with my fiancé's family (hoping for a White Christmas - keep your fingers and toes crossed for me) then Dubai for New Years because why not? It has been on my bucket list for a while so time to tick another bad boy off!

I was asked earlier this week to be on my girl friends Jess's podcast Dream, Believe and Achieve to talk openly about my transition from ditching the rat race to chasing my dreams and the sunshine instead!

As I was chatting to her I realised I haven't actually told you guys how I went from my completing my Psychology Degree, writing my thesis, to working in child protection to now being paid to travel around the world and link arms with other heart driven women who share the same passions of empowering others with holistic health, wealth and abundance.

So I thought I would share this week's podcast episode with you for a few reasons;

1. So you can understand why I am always jet setting around the world and "how" I actually get to enjoy the lifestyle I do in case it is also something that aligns or resonates with you (if so just message me, I am more than happy to send you some information to see if our business could be a good fit for you too - I am always looking for like minded, positive and passionate women to link arms with).

2. Hopefully it inspires you to pursue your own dreams if you know deep down that right now you are settling or pursuing someone else's (or even worse busting your butt to help someone achieve their goals at the expense of your own values, health and mission).

3. For the sake of not glorying my "job" or my journey. I wanted to get real and raw with you about the speed bumps and challenges I faced along the way and some psychology and mindset strategies I used to help me create a life I love with the flexibility to spend more time with the people I love - despite the naysayers, moments of self doubt and curve balls life throws at us along the way.If you would love to listen to the episode while you're driving, cooking dinner or going for your walk in the morning - click here.

Christmas Love

I hope this serves you. I am going try to drop in some love before Christmas (but if I am honest, I am actually going to try my best to stay offline so just in case I don't get to chat to you beautiful - I am wishing you and your family a Merry and safe Christmas and a happy, healthy and abundant New Year!

I am going to make a VLOG of our adventures to share with you when we are back - but if you like you can watch the VLOG here of our Las Vegas trip last year with the Babes in Business where I got to surprise my Mum and Dad and take them to Vegas too which is something that has always been on their bucket list!

Check out my Book Here

Just one of the many magical moments I have been able to create since saying yes to Babes in Business. I wonder what magic you could create for you and your family in 2019 if you asked yourself what if it could be for you too?

Follow us to Bali!

Amazing Week with our Babes in Business

So we just got back from an amazing week with our Babes in Business family. My partner and I treated ourselves to some time unplugged filling our cup up with some sunshine and smiles after our business retreat - this is a little sneak peak of what we got up to on the VLOG!

Thank You…

I will be forever grateful for the life I have been able to create with Babes in Bizz and just want to use this opportunity to remind you that if you are feeling lost, unfulfilled, stuck or stagnant in a job that you're not passionate about -  please let my VLOG ...or even MY LIFE remind you that there is a Life Above Zero and you deserve to live it.  

I’m not a millionaire and nor do I want to be. I just want the lifestyle and freedom to enjoy life instead of working 50 hours a week the best years of my life in hope I’ll get the opportunity to enjoy it in the last years of my life. Life is happening now - are you getting the time to enjoy it or have you bought into the rat race epidemic too where you seem to spend every waking hour working yet still can’t seem to get more than a week ahead?

There are so women like me who have studied 4 - 6 years at university to get a job in the corporate world - that are quitting their jobs that we worked so hard to get for this exact reason!

If you're one of them - do yourself a favour and listen to last week's episode on Babes Talking Business Vlogcast

If you're curious where we go and how we do it, or even better - email me and lets organise a time to catch up for virtual coffee date babe - because if you're anything like me...I know I had lots of questions and misconceptions so I am an open book if you would love to chat!

You can also test your happiness levels here

An Introvert living in an Extrovert world

I am an Introvert… What next…

A few different things inspired my VLOG this week; personal experiences for people who misread me, introverted babes I mentor in business doubting themselves in the business world because they're not an "extrovert", and clients I coach in wellness who feel guilty because they don't want to go to big social gatherings, as it feels more like a chore for them that they have to drag themselves to, rather than something that gets them excited and lit up!

So many people get surprised when I tell them I am an introvert, funnily enough though.. Im not surprised that they are surprised!

Because so many people see me with my "business jacket" on, where I do things that scare the shit out of me like VLOGS, presentations, workshops, conferences and networking events.

That is "Business" Lozz, the perception I have to muster my energy and courage to portray on my social media platforms as a way to get my vision, message and mission out there to those who need it (because I know my vision is much bigger than me, and you don't serve the world by playing small).

Im Not Surprised

Another reason why I am not surprised and people may not believe me is because so many are not aware of what the true meaning is of these words.

Unlike most believe, introversion and extroversion is not a theory about how outgoing or shy we are,  in psychology and research it actually relates to where we get our energy from.

Or in other words, how we recharge our brains and batteries - Or how I like to say it fill up your cup!

Introverts

(or those of us with introverted tendencies) tend to recharge by spending time alone - for example for me thats walking, one on one coffee or wine dates with my girlfriends, watching a movie with my partner, going for a long walk, sitting at the beach ALONE, meditating, journaling. We lose energy from being around people for long periods of time, particularly large crowds.

Extroverts

On the other hand, gain energy from other people. Extroverts actually find their energy is sapped when they spend too much time alone. They recharge by being social.

So tune in to listen to how you can learn AND understand your personality type so you can make smart decisions on how to regulate your emotions - in a way that is healthy FOR YOU (and not feel guilty if going to your friends party isn't the best thing for you do to right now).

If you're an introvert already in or embarking on - stepping into the business world which is all about MARKETING yourself as an extrovert to get your mission and message across,  tune in to hear how I use my "Business jacket" - as well as those of you who may judge others from what you perceive them to be on social media in comparison to a social setting...keep these golden nuggets in the back of your mind not only to be a better friend, but human.

Understanding others and yourself is the key to spreading kindness and compassion, and the world needs more of that. 

Try out our new Happiness Test

Babes in Business take on Vegas!

Babes in Business Hits Vegas

Hey guys I am so sorry I haven't dropped in some love for a while.. I surprised my parents and I took them over to Las Vegas!!

If any of you have Las Vegas on your bucket list there is a squad of us heading back over in December next year.

I have been over there a few years ago purely for the partying scene and had lots of fun, BUT I actually just got back traveling this time with some babes that are passionate about learning about business, wealth, health, personal and professional growth.

We made the focus of the trip more so about personal development, spiritual growth with seminars with world renown speakers, workshops AND LOTS OF FUN!

I made this VLOG to capture it all for you - it was such an amazing week!

We are starting to plan some fun trips for next year orientated around the same values (we already have Perth, Bali and Las Vegas on the calendar).

If you want to (or know someone who might, feel free to share this with them) travel with a tribe of passionate, inspiring, fun women and share the same interests as us, email me so we can keep connected on Facebook and I can invite you guys along!