053 Five Lessons Learned From My 9 Year Old Daughter

Future Proof Your Business EP53
[00:00:00] Lucy Rennie: Hi, and welcome to this week's episode of the Future Poopy Business Podcast. I'm Lucy Rennie, and this week I wanted to share with you five lessons that I've learned from my nine year old daughter who is. Of course I'm going to say who is gorgeous. I've had a weekend of dance competitions and stage school or performing arts rehearsals and just really seeing Elia.
[00:00:27] Lucy Rennie: behind the scenes of it all and she's just packing her bags now because she's off tomorrow to outward bound adventure with school. So an overnight stay and it's really the first time that she's going away without Me and her dad. And it's just really interesting and amazing to watch her and I just think there's so many things we can take away from it.
[00:00:49] Lucy Rennie: So I just wanted to share and let you in a little bit in terms of her story, but also the key things, really, that we can all maybe do with having a reminder of. I know I definitely do. And she's an inspiration to me. We've just got back actually this Friday from a week in Anglesey, which was amazing.
[00:01:07] Lucy Rennie: Yeah, if you've been following what we've been up to we went away to stay in the little cottage. on the island of Anglesey. So in Wales it's the little cottage that I found at the time when I was writing my book and I went off for five days and just got my head down and wrote it.
[00:01:22] Lucy Rennie: There's always been something magical for me about being by the seaside. And yeah, that's why. It's just an amazing place to go and recharge batteries, slow down, and just yeah revitalise. And that's exactly what we did. Five days, six days by the seaside. Lots of windy, wet walks and runs.
[00:01:41] Lucy Rennie: Lots of board games. Even things like Hotel, the board game. They've changed some of the hotels in there. Don't know if you've played it since you were younger like me. I'm showing my age now. But that was great as well, just to get some family time. I even managed to do a jigsaw. But it was quite nice being able to do some work just in the mornings, just on the laptop while everybody was lazing and managed to do quite a lot of things behind the scenes and get some planning done, which is always good.
[00:02:04] Lucy Rennie: And just some sleep and generally just breathing in the sea air. So all good. And we got back on Friday night and Basically yesterday was up and out early because we went to with Ellia that we went to take part. You'll have heard me talk about take part a lot. It's who I am collaborating with for my Joining the Dots program which you know about, but I'll put the links in the bio again, cause I'm desperately trying to build awareness for it and get as many of you as possible to sign up and pledge your support for our young people to come and talk to them, to share your journeys, your encounters and create some work experience for them as well.
[00:02:41] Lucy Rennie: So I'll pop the link in if you want to find out more, but there's also an episode where I talk all about it. So take part is actually an organization that I've been working with for a long time but also that Elia has been attending and it's primarily a performing arts organization but what they do is it's they come at it from the point of view of being inclusive and really Looking after our children and the goal is more about confidence and mental health and just building up to the fact that they can take part in a show at the end and the rewards of being part of a team and, overcoming that fear and that anxiety and the state, the butterflies to go up on stage and do the thing.
[00:03:21] Lucy Rennie: And so just a bit of background, really. I work as a non exec director with them. Now, and we're doing lots of work behind the scenes in terms of thinking of the next stage. But just to bring it back to this, my story this weekend, really, and Elia's story is that she's been going since she was a tot so three years old, where I used to have to hold her hand and we'd do the activities together.
[00:03:39] Lucy Rennie: And then gradually, little by little, through COVID and all through the different things, the team have been brilliant in helping Elia, who's really shy, just like me to overcome that fear of, Being in front of people, of talking of yeah, of what people will think to the point where she's actually now one of the principal parts and she's got a speaking part.
[00:03:58] Lucy Rennie: She's actually going to be playing Penny, who is Honk's girlfriend in the stage school, the stage show Honk. So dead excited about that, but basically to come back to yesterday, we had to get back off the holidays so she could attend this rehearsal. Both, most of the morning until about two o'clock, but then we whizzed off to, can you believe it, Accrington in the north, so towards Blackburn Way Accrington Town Hall, because I'm also, for those who don't know, an official dance comp mum, and so Ellia was taking part in a dance competition where she was doing some solo dances, she was doing a duo dance, she was doing a team dance, and we got back late last night with lots of trophies, so she did really well, she got second place A third place and a first place for the team.
[00:04:41] Lucy Rennie: And it was really, last night that made me think as I was driving back there and just reflecting as I was lying in bed last night, just thinking about how amazing she is and knowing, she's had to work at being scared and doing it anyway. But I'm just in awe of her.
[00:04:56] Lucy Rennie: She's an inspiration to me. And so as I was thinking about this, I thought, you know what? This is what I'm going to, I want to share it with everybody because yeah, I'm a proud mum. Also, I just think it's huge to watch and see just the progress and just the things that go on behind the scenes for her to really be able to do what she loves and to see that excitement, even just from getting the script for this.
[00:05:17] Lucy Rennie: learning the dances and being part of the team was amazing. So the five things today for this week's episode that I'd like to share with you about my amazing daughter, five things that I've learned from her. First one is just really tapping into what you love and enjoy. Whether you're good at it or not.
[00:05:36] Lucy Rennie: And I think this is really key. And this is what, again, I'm doing with I'm trying to bring into play with my Joining the Dots program for these young people is, we don't really get taught that at school. Nobody's saying to you, what do you actually enjoy doing? What's the thing that gives you those tummy flip moments?
[00:05:49] Lucy Rennie: What is it that, that makes you happy when you're doing it, because it's so important. And I think that's probably the main brick in the road to getting you to be doing something that you. Love and enjoy later on in life. And so I really want to encourage you to think about what that is.
[00:06:06] Lucy Rennie: Remind yourself of what's the joy, where's the joy in what you do in the business, in your business or in your team or in in your. In life in general, I'm sitting here by the beautiful window outside and I can see the gorgeous view and the blue sky and I'm thinking I'm going to go for a big walk later on this evening under the stars.
[00:06:22] Lucy Rennie: That for me is joy as well, it's, yeah, so watching Elia. Really think about and know that she loves her dancing, that she loves actually acting and doing voices and being on stage and all those things. Even though the idea of people watching her fills her with absolute dread. It's just amazing that she's been able to see that and actually is going for it.
[00:06:44] Lucy Rennie: And she's always wanted to dance. I've got videos one day when she's super famous, we'll get the videos out. But we've got videos from when she was even like couldn't walk and she was dancing and, doing all the things and she'll be the life and soul of the party when she's comfortable and happy.
[00:06:57] Lucy Rennie: And she's, in lockdown, she was Tess Daly as we did strictly as a family on Zoom. It's the bit that's been the hard bit is when she's. Self conscious of being shy or what people are going to think or those sort of things. So first lesson is really tap into what you love, what you enjoy and remind yourself of what that joy factor is, because I promise it's really important and it's, it drives everything that I do, which is, based on my vision of, for the love of small business and yeah, being happy and engaged and yeah, be doing what we love.
[00:07:31] Lucy Rennie: So that's the first thing. Second thing is, and I'm in awe again of this, and she's always had it from what I can remember, is this determination and grit to succeed to be able to do something. Whether that is learning to roll a boot, skateboard at the moment or whether it's learning the dance, getting the right steps, a one little twirl or whether it's learning a script or whether it's being able to read or write her name or whether it's whatever it might be, she's just got this amazing yeah, deep well of, Determination and grit that she can tap into that means that she just won't stop until she's done it And she'll just keep going over and over again and justice yeah, it's it's incredible to watch actually knowing that you know when she gets something new or when she's comes up against a wall or an obstacle.
[00:08:26] Lucy Rennie: She will always find a way, always of getting around it and yeah, being able to overcome that and actually managing to be able to do it so that I think again, and if you knew me, this is huge in business, it's that determination and grit that actually I think is the main attributes that we need as business owners.
[00:08:46] Lucy Rennie: Because it's not easy all the time because we do need to get up and keep going even when we don't feel like it or when you know, things get hard or maybe we get some, something goes wrong or things don't go the way we planned. It's that grit that actually keeps us, that, Yeah, that keeps you getting up in the morning.
[00:09:04] Lucy Rennie: You can be as talented and an expert in any, in whatever it is, but actually, if you haven't got that grit and determination, it's not going to help you. You're not going to stand out from the crowd. And, that's the thing that I think makes you different is when you can actually keep going and doing the things.
[00:09:20] Lucy Rennie: So yeah, hats off to Elia for that. And that's the determination of, this sort of. Yeah, learning all the dance steps for yesterday, but learning the script. She literally has this script for this play by her bedside. She will wake up in the morning. She'll eat a breakfast doing it. And she actually, I think pretty much, don't tell anybody, but she's got 26 or 30 lines, but she actually knows, I think, pretty much.
[00:09:42] Lucy Rennie: A whole script and so we'll sit and she can just recite the whole play to me now in the car or whatever. So it's like this, it's amazing to see and to watch. Number three is don't mix friendship groups or don't mix different groups of people if you don't need to or I suppose the message is don't feel that you have to include everybody to be kind or to be nice.
[00:10:09] Lucy Rennie: Now, what I mean by that, and it's nothing to do with being inclusive. This is about doing your own thing. So being brave enough, I think, to go and say, yeah, that's what I want to do. And actually I want to go and do it on my own terms. I want to go and experience it. Maybe without having other people from other places that you already know come into it.
[00:10:33] Lucy Rennie: For example, with Elia, this was about when she started her dance classes last year She went on her own and I was saying, do you want to take somebody with you? Do you want to maybe invite a school friend or somebody else? And she was like, you could see her thinking about it, but actually for her, it was easier or it she wanted to be able to do it on her own terms and not have to worry about anybody else or because she does worry about what everybody else thinks and wants to make everybody happy all the time.
[00:11:02] Lucy Rennie: Which. I'm not going to say it's a bad thing because it's lovely that she wants everyone to be happy and she's kind and does all these things, but sometimes what's really important is to do what you want to do and not do something just because somebody else wants to do it or be influenced in that way.
[00:11:15] Lucy Rennie: So I think if she'd taken some friends from school, maybe then maybe she wouldn't have made new friends because she'd already got friends, or maybe she would have, she wouldn't have been able to be her real self because she was already thinking about what. Those friends, the Ellia that those friends knew.
[00:11:31] Lucy Rennie: So a bit of a rambly one there, but I think what it is, and I wasn't sure as I was writing it down, but I think it's about owning your voice and your space and doing it on your terms, and that can be applied to business, to all walks of life, but I think. Now that I'm 45, I realized that the most important thing is that it's actually when you can own your voice, when you can just be able to show up and be you and yourself and not worry about, who already knows you from here or what impact that's going to have over here and really just be.
[00:12:03] Lucy Rennie: You would do the thing that you enjoy, then I think that's when the magic happens too. And again, that applies to business, doesn't it? If we can have our own voice, if we can really stay in our own light lane and not worry about what everybody else is doing, then actually that's when we'll attract the right kind of people that we wanna attract to our business or repel the ones that aren't.
[00:12:23] Lucy Rennie: Number four is about being brave and facing your fear and. This is a huge one. I was listening to a podcast actually this week as well with Alex Hormozy and Chris Williamson, which is a great episode to listen to. I'll pop the links as well in the show notes. It's a good chunky, I think it's like a three hour long podcast.
[00:12:40] Lucy Rennie: And I was listening to it as I was out running and walking the dog over the week and they were talking about the fact that actually it is about being brave is actually. About, about having the courage to do it, even when you're scared. And the opposite of that is when you don't do it and that's when, as they talked about it it's that cowardness of allowing that fear to stop you.
[00:13:02] Lucy Rennie: And I think that for me is where I can see Elia. She's just amazing because I know how scared she is of going and putting herself out there or how, yeah, just how scary that must be to go and stand in the middle of a big town hall with a big badge on your front. And go and dance and do in front of all these judges that are walking around and doing when you've never done that before or when you're nine years old.
[00:13:26] Lucy Rennie: And I feel that today for everything that I do, especially this podcast. And so just watching her. Again, tap into the joy, that determination that she's going to do this because she's put her mind to it. And she's, doing the things she loves with people that she's, who love the same thing.
[00:13:44] Lucy Rennie: So she can be herself in that arena. And just be seeing her, just. Yeah, just that, I don't know, just smiling at me and you can see, but then she goes and does it and it's amazing. So yeah, that is the fourth one is just being brave and facing your fear. So just doing it anyway. And actually.
[00:14:03] Lucy Rennie: Pretty much always turns out in the right way when we can do that. That's how you're going to move forward. That's how, in business as well, in, in terms of what in life, it's about taking those steps, isn't it? It's about feeling scared about it, but just trying it. And, as we try these things and as we do these new things, then actually.
[00:14:21] Lucy Rennie: They become easier and easier and easier. And then we look back and we think, Oh God, can you remember how scared I was about, I remember like renting my first office or taking my first employee on or speaking on a stage or this podcast or putting a book out there and this every day there's something different, but when we look back and we think about it, actually we, you can see that we grow and we evolve.
[00:14:41] Lucy Rennie: So yeah, huge one is number four, be brave and face your fear. And then number five. Is that just the one thing yesterday that was just blowing my mind and just made me so proud and actually gave me the biggest lump in my throat was watching Elia be the best cheerleader for her friends and for her teammates and this was just mind blowing.
[00:15:04] Lucy Rennie: So the first dance she was doing a solo dance and She didn't get through to the next heat and I don't know whether it was tiredness, whether it was so many people, cause she was, I'm not going to lie. She was brilliant, but anyway, she didn't get through and I could feel the sudden, the humiliation, the shame from inside her that she hadn't got through.
[00:15:23] Lucy Rennie: So we had a bit of a moment and then. Again, all those different, the determination, the grit and all, the being brave and everything kicked in and she got back out there and actually she won all these different trophies. The one thing that she was doing throughout, as she, even as she was feeling that emotion, was she was being the biggest cheerleader for her friends.
[00:15:44] Lucy Rennie: So she was. Up there, the first screaming and shouting and hugging and celebrating with her friends who were coming back with all these trophies, even when she was feeling at the worst because she hadn't got through to the next level and she was, all the feels that you can imagine she would feel as a nine year old.
[00:16:01] Lucy Rennie: For me, seeing her be that person that was just You know, really supporting our friends and it was real sincerity as well. I'm just so happy for them. I just think it was amazing. And I think that's something that we can all think about and definitely me, great reminder that, it's not really about me.
[00:16:19] Lucy Rennie: It's about who's around me and the more support we can, share for our friends, for our colleagues, for our fellow business people, for our competitors. Let's all be in this together and support each other because it is a game and we can have some fun with it. And yeah, I think the more that we can embrace that supportive cheerleader way of doing things, then the more powerful it is and the more that we're going to grow and yeah, get, make an impact. And me that's our ultimate goal, isn't it? That's what I talk about in the book is that ripple effect and, being that magnet that you can be so yourself Again, I suppose it's these five things, isn't it?
[00:16:55] Lucy Rennie: It's knowing what you love. So really tapping into that joy, those tummy flips, the thing that's getting you up in the morning. It's that determination and grit to really make an impact and get where you want to be. It's about having your own voice and not worrying about what other people think and being really clear on what it is that you want to be doing.
[00:17:11] Lucy Rennie: It's about being brave and showing up even when you don't want to, or when you're scared. And then finally, it's about, just. Supporting each other because it's, it is a rollercoaster ride. And that's, what the Future Proof Club's all about as well, is that creating that community so we can all help each other.
[00:17:25] Lucy Rennie: And the joining the dots where we can bring everybody together. And so having those cheerleaders that for us, for ourselves, that are going to shout about our business and the ripple effect, but also we've got to do it for the people. And that's where it, that reciprocity kicks in. Those are my five takeaways from yesterday, the five lessons that I've learned from my nine year old gorgeous daughter and I just think they're key.
[00:17:48] Lucy Rennie: I think they're everything to life and to for me, key success factors that have helped me get where I want to be today, but also that I know. Once, clients and I can see other people tapping into them, then that's when the magic happens and there's a massive shift and we really get the results that we want to get.
[00:18:04] Lucy Rennie: I suppose I'm going to end it there. It's a short one this week, but I just wanted to share that with you after a long weekend. I'm going to go and pack Elia's bag now and help her go off on this two day trip. I am. Yeah, she's going to be climbing walls and abseiling and doing all those things.
[00:18:18] Lucy Rennie: She's even got to make a bed in the dormitory, which will be fun. So yeah, that's me as a quick reminder, if you are interested in being part of a community like that, if you want to come together with some cheerleaders who can, who all support each other behind the scenes, if you want to get that accountability to keep showing up, if you want that support in terms of getting real clarity on who you are and what you're doing, then come and join me in the Future Proof Club.
[00:18:40] Lucy Rennie: It really is. An amazing space for gorgeous entrepreneurs and business owners and their teams to come in. It's an, my online membership, it's 30 pounds a month and there's no commitment. So you can come in and, get what you need out of it. And to be honest, most people stay. There's training, there's an online hub, there's spotlight sessions like a mastermind where you've got your own sort of strategic board, and then there is everything else that you could possibly want from a membership, which is that support, it's that network of people, it's that opportunity to take risks, to try and think of something new.
[00:19:16] Lucy Rennie: And just sometimes having that peace of mind that you've got people who've got your back and who are there to help you if you've got any questions. Because it is a lonely world, isn't it? That I suppose is my message today. If you want to come and have a nosy, if you've bought a copy of my book, then you'll know you can go to the website and get the free resources.
[00:19:31] Lucy Rennie: And as part of the free resources, because I really want to help people build these foundations and grow something amazing. You can have a free month in the Future Proof Club to come and try it out. So please, yeah, come and have a look. I'll pop the link again in the show notes. But that would be my call to action today for you guys.
[00:19:48] Lucy Rennie: I would love you to come if you're not already and join us in the Future Proof Club. Meet up with some new people, and maybe give you yourself the mix up or the courage or the, whatever it might be to tap into that joy and do the things that maybe you've been putting off because you've maybe been a bit scared about.
[00:20:07] Lucy Rennie: So on that note, I'm going to leave you. Have a brilliant week and please let me know where you're up to and what you're doing, and I will see you all next week. Take care. Bye bye.