“I ran my business always in the green, which is wise to a degree, but I also wasn’t investing in myself or backing myself. And that changed at my 10-year mark. That’s a little bit daunting at times, but we do have backing behind us that I can take a little bit more risk now. If you want something to work, sometimes you do have to invest in it and have a go.“
Emma Lovell
Buy the book
Imagine waking up in Acapulco with the sun streaming through the window.
Then a month or later, wandering through the spicy streets of New Delhi, and after that, who knows, maybe exotic Coffs Harbour or Wollongong.
Emma Lovell leads a travel life that would make others (well me) green with enviousness, She’s forever appearing on Instagram in sparkly outfits at conferences, or leading a touchy retreat in some country location.
But with a small human, a male human and a business, how does she do it all? And does she earn six figures in school hours?
Tune in to learn:
- How Emma’s family and business work
- Why Emma feels more like a free-range parent and business owner
- Working on the go: how Emma prioritises travel time and what that looks like for her business
- How to run a profitable retreat and cut back on unnecessary costs
- How Emma navigates parent guilt
- The difference between networking and actually pursuing opportunities
- What self-care looks like to Emma
Listen to the podcast
Share the love
If you like what you’re hearing on Six Figures in School Hours, support the show by taking a few seconds to leave a rating and/or comment on iTunes or Spotify. Thanks.
Share the meme
About Emma Lovell
She’s a speaker and MC, regularly taking to the physical and virtual stage to speak about business, personal brand, travel and mental health. Emma is also the host of not one, but two podcasts – Lovelly Travels and the Live & Love Your Brand Podcast.
Emma lives on the Gold Coast with her Aquaman husband Mathew, and her toddler Finn.
Fun fact: Emma broke her back snowboarding in 2009 at uni games and during her recovery, she started her business!
Connect with Emma Lovell
Buy the book
Transcript
Kate Toon
Imagine waking up in Acapulco with the sun streaming through the windows, then a month later, wandering through the spicy streets of New Delhi. And after that, who knows, maybe exotic Coffs Harbour, Wollongong Emma Lovell leads a travel life that would make others while me green with envy. She’s forever appearing on Instagram and sparkly outfits at conferences, or leaving a touchy feely retreat in some country location, that with a small human, a male human and the business, how does she do it all? And does she earn six figures in school hours? Hello, my name is Kate Toon. I’m the founder of Stay Tooned. A busy business owner and okayish parents. Today I’m talking with Emma Lovell. Hello, Emma.
Emma Lovell
Hello, how are you?
Kate Toon
I’m good. You’re fiddling around with your bits.
Emma Lovell
Just to the last minute, I was like, I don’t know if my headphones are working.
Kate Toon
Excellent. Great. Start to a podcast.
Emma Lovell
Exactly. I don’t need them. So yeah, I’ve only got two of my own. So I must know how they work. Right?
Kate Toon
Yep. Okay, well, after that, let’s keep going. Let me tell you who Emma is she Emma is on a mission to live a life she loves and to support others to do the same as a coach, speaker and writer and that inspires her clients and audiences to focus on what they truly want, and go after it wholeheartedly. Emma’s also a speaker and emcee regularly talking to the physical and virtual stages to inspire, motivate and encourage audiences. She’s also the host of three podcasts, lovely travels life and love your brand. And coming soon the Emma Lovell show. Emma lives on the Gold Coast with her Anchorman husband, Matthew, toddler Finn and their fur baby cat T’challa. Fun fact, Emma broke her back snowboarding 2009 That’s not fun at the uni games. And during her recovery, she started her business. So a fun fact. It’s a horrible fact. What happened?
Emma Lovell
I think it’s very I think it’s fun. I’m fine. So it’s fun. Yeah, no, I will often jump I have literally told myself to man up here to jump and landed sitting up right. Which is the hardest part of the jump. Broke it instantly. But um, you know, taught me to slow down and the forced,
Kate Toon
you have to slow down after that. Perhaps you should have womanned instead of manning up.
Emma Lovell
That might have actually gone oh, maybe this isn’t the best idea after a big night out and no preparation whatsoever. But no, I thought I’ll just do it. Just go for it.
Kate Toon
Well, you are just go for it kind of woman. And that’s what we’re going to talk about on the podcast today. But before we do that, we obviously got a little bit of a breakdown of your family there. But tell us a little bit more. How old is your son? And I guess how’s your family setup work? Do you share the load equally? How does it work within your little fam?
Emma Lovell
Yeah, so Finn, my son is two years and eight months now. And he is just beautiful love this age, love all the ages. But this is very, very fun. So my husband Matthew, yes, works at SeaWorld, which actually gives us a lot of freedom. So he works five days a week, but it sort of used to be like an eight day or nine day fortnight. So we had a lot of flex in terms of his time. He also does this thing where he’d banks day so they get time in lieu. So it was allowed us a lot of freedom. And yeah, he’s, Finn’s in childcare three days a week. And he’s Matt’s got him today, actually, today’s Monday. So it’s his day, there might have been one day a week. I had him one day on my own and then with three days and then have the weekend.
Kate Toon
It’s funny that sounds very much like how we ran things when my son was that age. I think he was in daycare two days and then three and then yeah, my my partner then did one day and I did a day Yep, same sort of thing. So there’s a bit lots of balance there lots of flexibility. You know, the book obviously covers parenting style. I know you’ve read the book, obviously you’ve been closely involved with this whole process, which has been wise when you got to that parenting style chapter where you easily able to identify yourself in little little boundaries grid? Or did you think you’re a bit of a mixed mash of different types of parenting styles?
Emma Lovell
No, I thought I thought it was quite clear. There were a few that have, no one wants to be that one. Yeah, I don’t know. But then it’s I think you sort of take bits from some others as well like you know, so I can’t remember them exactly. But no, it wasn’t, I don’t think was alarmingly like.
Kate Toon
I think you want it to be probably really want to be authoritative, not authoritarian, which is the one which is, have demands on their child that sounds awful, but has boundaries and rules and guidelines, but it’s also super responsive and listens to their child and, you know, involves them in things as well, which is hard when they’re three because yeah, it’s a challenging age I find.
Emma Lovell
But I think I’m I’d say I say sometimes I’m a free, I’m free ranging. I’m very much about, well, sort of, I focus a lot on personal brand. And I want him I feel like at this time of life, and they’re the most them they’re going to be and so I really try to protect who he is, then try to have people not tell him. And so yeah, we’ve got to tell him no, and we’ve got to, you know, guide him. But I just think it’s more like, they get quite lower there when other people come up and try and tell try and parent him.
Kate Toon
Yeah.
Emma Lovell
And like, just let him be him. Like, he’s being a little human, amazing. exploring the world testing the boundaries, like, just let him do it his way. And I really like to just kind of, you know, without within the realms of not being dangerous, you know, and he, we don’t, he does, like climb and stuff, but it’s not always been, he doesn’t leap off things. And he doesn’t run away from me, you know, so I didn’t have that, you know, oh, we can’t take him to the shops or anything? Like he’s, I don’t know, it kind of sticks around us?
Kate Toon
Well, I’ve thought what I find is interesting is what I’ve noticed throughout this podcast is how you parent tends to be very similar to how you run your business, I think that grid could be applied to businesses, you know, like, you know, so therefore, maybe you’re not a particularly helicopter mom, whereas I’m massively helicopter parent, you know, and also, the idea that, you know, we talked about this in the book that, you know, kids are 50%, nature 50% nurture, study, after study shows that, you know, they come out as they are, and you can guide them a bit, but we have much less control than we think we do. We’re just true of business, too. So, you know, when it when it comes to your business, let’s talk a little bit about that. How would you describe your business style? And is it similar Is it free range?
Emma Lovell
Very free range, I was gonna say theorem in this star signs for business because I didn’t the star signs for my son in it. And my and my husband, and it really helped you, I talk to you go and look up your star sign in your child star sign, and it actually has a how you can parent to that so if you’re into that, I found it just gave me a little tip when he was quite little. So I keep that in the back of my mind. But yeah, if my business was a star sign, it would be a Leo, if it was just
Kate Toon
I know nothing about star signs, that means nothing to me.
Emma Lovell
It means, my business to the hippie, my business does what it wants, my business has for many years, gone, wherever it chooses. And it’s only in the past three years. And like I said to you, Kate, offline and on calls, and we’re anywhere I can I wish I had this book 10 years ago, for my business. Because, yeah, I think the great thing about having my son was that I got going with Yeah, it made me like go, oh, gosh, this is about bigger than me. And it’s about the family. And it’s about longevity. And I don’t have the time I used to have. And I basically instead of nesting the home, I nested the business, I didn’t miss the home as well. But I lifted the business and I did all the like proper adult he business stuff that, you know, might have been good to do 14 years ago, but no, I did it.
Kate Toon
Well, we all evolve at different times, don’t we I mean, I must say the first three years in my business address has been bubbling along and not had no idea what I was doing. It wasn’t really till I was three years in, I started to think, and the business I have done looks nothing like the business I have now. So I think you can plan but you get the business you get. And you get the business environment that you get, and you get the customers that you get. And if you’re such, so hospital corners with your planning, and you don’t respond to the environment, the child that you have, I mean, that would be the go back to the child analogy that would be authoritarian that you want your kid to be a certain way, regardless of who they are as a person, you want your business to be a certain way, regardless of the business that it is. So I think you need to have a bit of bit of free ranging there is good,
Emma Lovell
it’s important that for COVID I think like freelancers, people who’ve run small businesses, I was like, that was just training for us. COVID was like, this is showtime, we’re ready. You know, we were, it gave us so many, all the uncertainty and all the like ups and downs and you know, that people had never faced, we were like, oh, that’s just that’s just how we operate.
Kate Toon
I think it all operates in a very short period of time. Like, you know, having been in business for a long time. Like you. I’ve seen all those ups and downs, but they just were spread out over a lot longer. And then all of a sudden, within two years, we had like 15 years worth of business adventures squeezed into two. And obviously many businesses didn’t survive, but yours did. And obviously one of the things you love more than anything is to travel. So COVID obviously had a massive impact on that. But I guess one of the reasons why we’re talking here today is, you know, I’m fascinated by the fact that you are always at an airport. And I’ve said to you before, how on earth do you run your business when you’re always at an airport? So tell us a little bit about that. How do you travel so much?
Emma Lovell
Yeah, well look, I mean, it comes back to choice. And it might be an annoying answer for some but it’s my choice and it’s my highest priority. My highest value is freedom. For me, travel is non negotiable. And so it’s like, if I can’t travel, I don’t have the possibility or opportunity. And this didn’t apply to COVID, actually, but generally, I knew that something was going to come. But if I can’t travel as a goal, then why am I doing this kind of thing? It isn’t, I have bought a house, I do want to buy a future home, I don’t not want that stability, it’s just that I get so many ideas, so many connections, so many opportunities from travel. That’s why I do it, yeah.
Kate Toon
That’s what’s your priority is. And your definition of success is being able to continue to do that, as well as doing the other things, but it’s your eye, you know, and that’s, you know, often we say, you know, the attention, something flows, where the attention goes, or whatever. And we have different priorities. I think, for a long time, my priority was, I think financial security, I think, you know, and now it’s not something because I’ve established a bit of that. And now it’s still that, but now it’s very much about Reclaiming my time to do whatever, whether it’s travel pot around the garden. So I’d love to so you’ve made it very clear to yourself that travel is part of your business. But I think until recently, you know, the business wasn’t completely aligned with that I just used the word aligned, forgive me. But now you’re making a big shift into making travel, not a metric of success in your business, and not something that you love, but actually is a hole in the backbone of your business. Right. So talk to us a bit about that.
Emma Lovell
Yeah, so travel was something that I did, and something that was an income stream, I’ve earned money from travel writing, and being a travel blogger for many years, so. And then also having travel clients, so just being in that space, but it was more like it was an inner thing, as opposed to the business thing. So then I’ve started running retreats in 2021 answer that’s got travel in it. And I really feel like my business now. The pillars of my business would be business, travel and self care. So I that’s what I bang on about a bang on about business. I love business, I love the game of business, I love running business, run multiple, I love helping people with their businesses and supporting them. I love travel, obviously, we’ve covered that topic, and then self care. And it’s something that I get commented on quite a bit how I choose myself, how I put myself forward. That’s motivation from not from, yes, I want to do it because I need to take care of myself but also from I don’t think that my mother and many other women in that generation did that. And I don’t want to be a martyr and I don’t want to hold that over anyone and I just I know about the whole put your oxygen mask and fill your tank and all those things, but simply I know that I just I wouldn’t be able to deliver anything to anyone, if I’m not if I’m not okay. So, and self care is more than, you know, a massage and getting your nails done. It’s it’s choosing you. Actually that’s what I think it is. So all of those coming together and helping people whether it’s with one or two or all three, and retreats for me are all three together.
Kate Toon
Yeah. So where does money come into all of this because you know, travelling, looking after yourself. You know, being nice to people, helping them grow their business all very well and good. But making money is also important. So where is money on your list of priorities?
Emma Lovell
Money’s pretty high up wealth is one of my values as well. Because I want again, wealth to me and money brings freedom. So when you have money, you have choice. I have I’ve been described as a modern day pirate, I’m able to find and make money, no matter what. So I tend to you know, even if I’m down and out I will go and work at Kohl’s or I will you know go to some petsitting or I used to do promo and I don’t know handout cheese at the train station like I will make money and-
Kate Toon
I go and give people cheese at the train station just for fun. Just randomly, Just to see their reaction. Just handing people grated cheese out of the bag, see what they do? No, I love that. And I guess, you know, I feel like I’m the same like I’m a doer. Do you know what I mean? And I will always that’s been a great comfort to me in my business. Because I always seen it for at least the first three years was like well, I can always go and get a job for the man and then I was like, Well, I can always go and get a job overseas and I would do whatever I would do whatever it took to bring in a bit of money. And I think that’s a really that kind of attitude is very helpful when you’re a business owner because it means you’ve got this kind of backup plan that gives you which you never have to actually use which is when trouble fantastic. So I love your fact you call yourself a pirate. I think I call myself a doer. But you know you have picked a niche which is I guess commonly seen as not a particular profitable one, retreats. I know a lot, I ran a retreat recently I made a profit. Yeah, but it wasn’t me see, but I know a lot of people run retreats on no profit, they actually cost the money. So you know any, any thoughts on how you’re going to educate people on how to do this in a profitable way?
Emma Lovell
Yes. Well, I am launching a, an offer, it’s sort of marinating at the moment, but put it firmly, it’s gonna be a coaching and coaching in different forms. But it’s going to be like a one day retreat about how to run retreats.
Kate Toon
Okay, I love it.
Emma Lovell
I could do so it’s a workshop sort of situation. But you know, let’s set the scene, let’s be in the beautiful place. But I can also do that as if people can’t get there, I know that I wouldn’t really want to open up my audience to a global audience. So people can’t physically get to a place. I can do that online with them in a virtual setting or one on one coaching and the premises, you can run profitable retreats. And it’s sharing all that knowledge of what I’ve done. Good and bad. But I don’t think that you need to be running within a loss.
Kate Toon
What does a profit good profit margin on a retreat look like? Are we are we expecting 50% 3020? Like, you know, what, what is your realistic expectation?
Emma Lovell
I take it like I think I think 30 is good i building at least 30 on mine. The fact of the matter is, there generally is kind of the substantial cost generally is because you’ve got people staying so you’re gonna feed them, you might bring in a facilitator, but I think where people go wrong, and then they bring in all the bells and whistles and then probably add in little things. They pay for the van hire to get people there, they get them little gifts, and I know someone who spent like 300 to $500 on gifts, and it’s like, but that was like 25% of the ticket price. Like, no.
Kate Toon
I often see that. Like I see that when people join expensive memberships. And they’re like, Oh, look at the amazing box full of stuff I got and I’m like, Well, you paid for that. That’s why the memberships like $500 a month because $250 of it when on that box of crap. You just got the you didn’t need, you know, and wouldn’t you rather pay $250 a year? Yes. And not had yet another lovely candle? I mean, you can never have too many lovely candles.
Emma Lovell
I make my own candles, I don’t actually, I delegate them. But yes, but you know, but they also don’t. It’s quality over quantity. And so that’s what I decided instead of Yes, getting them a bag of crap, I was like, I’m gonna get a beautiful,
Kate Toon
One nice thing.
Emma Lovell
Yeah, a beautiful box of tea and a beautiful facemask that they can, you know, and then they really treasure and it’s like, think that you’re a few little things that they can really treasure. So I’m not opposed to gifts, I’m opposed to excess.
Kate Toon
Yeah, and gift at the cost of profit. Like, you know, Don’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm. You know, like, if you’ve put that because retreats as well. The other big problem for retreats and you know, we’re talking about parents, and whatever it is, they’re wonderful to go as an attendee, but as a retreat host, they are incredibly draining because you are, you know, whether you choose to stay at the retreat or not, whether it’s an overnight retreat, or whatever, however you do it, there’s a lot of you, you’re giving out a lot of energy and a lot of love. And especially if that doesn’t come naturally, some of us are better at giving naturally than others, you know, so if you’re an introverted person, maybe retreats aren’t your thing, because you’re going to be so drained. You know, I know someone who were on one recently and got sick immediately after two weeks off, so the cost of the retreat was way more than the literal costs. So yeah, that’s another challenge, isn’t it, that the energy levels that you give.
Emma Lovell
So everything without her the cost, right, everything has, you know, said time and energy. So to me right now, time and energy are my currency. So I value that above anything else. So sometimes, if it does cost me a little bit more in money, I’m happy to do that. Because it means saving myself the time and energy, like, you know, in other areas of my business, if someone else is better at it, it’s better for me to pay them then to try and figure it out myself. I’ve done a lot of that over the years, I’ve done it all myself. And sometimes it’s just not worth it. And yeah, but I just think, I mean, look, I’d love to see how far I could stretch the profit thing. But you know, I was gonna message you on the weekend, Kate, I actually ended up for the second time pulling the plug on a retreat, the same one, I tried to revamp it, I didn’t end up announcing it, but I pulled the plug because I did have a moment of clarity. And I looked at the pricing and looked at the margins. And it just wasn’t there. But it had also moved away from the, I guess the intention of what I wanted it for. And it just was like, I don’t think I can, I don’t, just felt like an uphill battle and just sell the crap out of this.
Kate Toon
And that steals the joy out of it as well. Like sometimes when you have to push that hard for the sale and to get people over the line by the time you actually come to do the thing you’re actually already you kind of doesn’t like it as much anymore a bit of resent it a little bit. And I you know, I think I think there’s you know what I love about what you’re offering is because I think a lot of people do want to offer this service but also just travel in general and being able to get away and you know, running retreats is one way to travel. Another way to travel is to speak at events and get paid to speak or to run workshops or to whatever it may be do VIP days in different cities, lots of different ways to integrate travel. But one of the things I think will be challenging over above the profit. By the way, I love that you said, 30 percent. I think that’s I got 32 on mine. And I was like, well, that’s really low, because I’m used to 55 Because I’m a digital business, but the physical costs are there, right? Yeah. The other thing I think that was people find super difficult about travelling, and I definitely did is the guilt, the guilt of leaving your child behind. So how do you manage that?
Emma Lovell
Yeah, I think I actually posted this on my story the other day, because at the company that people are like, ask me, Do I miss my son and I’m like, nah. I do. Of course I do. But I don’t have guilt. Much. I had when there’s a high volume, I did start to feel it. But I know that he’s okay. And he gets time with his dad. He gets time with my in-laws. He’s so well adjusted that, you know, I leave and he says bye. And then I come back and he single Hi. gets excited. He’s like, You got to go pick up go to the airport to get mummy. Got to get mummy at the airport, we tell him what we’re doing. You know, he has childcare that he loves. But you know, still, obviously, it hurts my heart if I dropped him off. And he’s crying that he could do that on a day where I’m at home, you know.
Kate Toon
That’s it. Oh, I love that. And I one of the things you mentioned, that I thought was really important is when I went away travelling it was that my son got dedicated time with his dad. Because especially when they’re young at that age, they do want their mum a lot. And it’s sometimes hard for the dad in the family to feel seen and wanted and loved to them having dedicated time together and doing things the way that my son’s dad does it, it’s just very different was good. You know, and also you go away, you’re fresh, you feel whatever I must have, I didn’t do a lot of travelling when he was very little just because opportunities didn’t arrive and we were very poor. And then I kind of went on a bit of a mad travel frenzy when my son was about eight or nine. And that was good, but it was too much was too much. So I pulled back a bit now. And then I got to the glorious point where it’s taking him with me. So my son has come to very various conferences now the first one was Artful business. Huge thanks to L for letting him come. That was his first one. And that for me was the real balance. Because yeah, he came a good friend. My friend Joe cola took him to the zoo for a couple of hours for me, so I could actually speak. But then the rest of the trip, we got to enjoy Adelaide, you know. And then recently I took him to Europe. We did one day at a conference, but then we were able to spend three weeks travelling together, you know, so you got all that to look forward to as well.
Emma Lovell
And I have taken him, I haven’t done a couple of trips. I hadn’t done those trips where I’ve been working. But I’ve been to business chicks movers and breakers conference. And he’s been to I’ve been to three and he’s been to all of them.
Kate Toon
Woohoo, he’s a little entrepreneur. He’s gonna grow up, you know.
Emma Lovell
He’s come on the meetings with me comes on the Zoom calls people know him, they asked about him and Matt came along with me. And I said I want to make the most of it
Kate Toon
This is it.
Emma Lovell
When I’m already paying for hotel I’m already paying this is it for car hire like that we get to make the most of it. And then one of the things like you asked before about how I make it work. I’ve always worked while I travel as well. And for some people, that’s their idea of hell, but that’s probably because you potentially only get four weeks of holiday a year.
Kate Toon
That’s it.
Emma Lovell
I’ve got 10 or 12 weeks, I want 10 or 12 weeks a year. So if I am going to be away for a month at a time, twice a year, what’s a couple hours a day, so.
Kate Toon
The compromise this isn’t is the compromise, I actually do it in reverse, I’ve started doing it in reverse where I think of somewhere I want to go on a holiday. And then I work out the one opportunity to speak so that you know I can to some degree, it’s a business trip. Do you see what I mean? So I’m going to Bali for a week with my best May and I’m like, Oh, well my good friend Chris Edwards runs a thing where maybe I can organise a speaking gig and I did and his you said it’s one day of pop up the rest of the time will be holiday but it’s the compromise. Right? You know, I I love the idea, especially now my son’s a bit older of maybe going somewhere for two or so weeks, working in the mornings and then having the afternoon to myself but I’m in a different location. I’m experiencing a new post. So I think it’s as you said, whatever you make your priority, that’s your priority. And I think it’s just an unusual one, which is why it stands out from the crowd because everyone else is making a priority. You know, I don’t know other things and you’ve chosen travel as your thing and it stands out to me, I think because it’s something I would like to do more of. And it’s very impressive. So well done.
Emma Lovell
Thank you. And I just think it’s nice. Thank you for recognising it. And you did message me earlier this year and asked me that question. And it stood out to me, and was like, why am I not doing this? But I guess it’s something that I’ve always done. So I don’t see it as something special.
Kate Toon
You don’t see as special. And this is it. We never see our own superpowers, because another superpower I think that you have is, you know, you’re very connected. And I don’t think it’s through artifice, or kind of trying to climb some kind of business social ladder, you know, because you go to a lot of events, because you meet a lot of people, you’re very willing to go, Well, I know, Bob, and Bob, and this is Sue, and you two should chat. And that is such a great way to grow your business. Because then little opportunities just pop up, you’ve become noticeable and relevant. And people like oh, that Emma Lovell, she seems lovely. You know, I see a great way to do it. You know, you talked about the fact that you’re Yeah, what did you say, a pirate business owner, you can always find the treasure. What do you think is the biggest driver for your success? You know, you’ve been here a while you’re still going, you’ve had a business pre baby, now you’ve got a business post, baby, you’re evolving, you’re changing? What keeps you going? What is the biggest driver for your success?
Emma Lovell
I think you said it’s the networking and the connections.
Kate Toon
You think so?
Emma Lovell
Absolutely hands down, it’s when I have been down and out, I can send an email to four people and go, Hey, what’s your got? What’s going on? Or do you know someone and that can turn into you know, I did that in COVID, I’ve got a $20,000 contract out of it. So, you know, my past. Background is PR marketing, social media and copywriting. So I can always, I just turn on that writing muscle again. And I’ve got so many contacts that I just reach out and sort of say, you know, say I want more speaking and I just start talking about it. And someone goes does the same to me that I’ve done for them and go, Oh, well, I know someone or you know, I met with a friend yesterday, he’s in the corporate world. I said I want to get into presenting more in corporate. Not necessarily he would be the one who gets me the gig. But it’s like, what’s the structure? When have you seen a presenter come in? Who do I talk to? You know, and I’m just willing to go and talk to the people that I need to talk to, to get the gig. And you know, I had a contractor Well, vision when I was in 2015. And it’s because I was a blog ambassador for them. And then they knew me, and then, you know, met someone, and then they said, Oh, we’ve got this opportunity coming up. So that’s happened for me all along. It’s the willingness to connect, and it’s the willingness to ask.
Kate Toon
That’s what I was gonna say, because I was gonna say, I know a lot of connected people, but some people are very reluctant to actually ask, which I think you are. But I also think, you know, you, you come across? Well, I know you’re very seem very positive and very open to opportunity, and just to helping and community over competition. And just, you know, I don’t know how to describe it, you know, it’s not necessarily you’re a people person that you, you know, you’re out there doing the do, and then seeing what happens, you know, like, it feels like, you’re the sort of thing I know, I know that you have down days. And we we’ve talked about one recently, we’re both feeling a bit flat. But generally, you kind of approach each day with a bit of excitement and what could happen and the world is full of opportunities. The glass is half full, not half empty. Do you think that’s another thing?
Emma Lovell
Yeah, gives them to go. You know, like, that’s coming back to the pirate thing. But you know, taking a chance and not, I think you can have a plan. But I know you talked about this to have a plan that don’t have a 30 page business plan. I mean, they teach you that in uni and it just first client I had out of units, like, went, Thanks. That’s great. I’ve done so much work. But could you just give me five slides? Yeah. Could you just have one thing to do next? Great. Yeah, he’s like, Hey, can you do this presentation in five slides is that what so is that they want these sort of a one pager the value of a one pager, if you don’t do a one pager yet, one page of information, sparse information, is what they actually want. Just give me the headlines.
Kate Toon
And if you can’t fit it onto one page it’s gone. I’m about I’m planning out my mastermind, or whatever I’m gonna call it, I don’t want to call it that, because I hate that term, for next year. And I’m like, if I can’t fit it all on one page, it’s going to be too hard to communicate, you know, I can’t describe it quickly and easily, then it’s going to be too hard to communicate. And the thing is, while about having all these elaborate plans is as soon as you spent months putting them together, and by the time you put them into practice, the world has moved on, things have changed.
Emma Lovell
So you don’t want to do it.
Kate Toon
So you’ve lost the passion.
Emma Lovell
You know, and I’m talking about I was just talking to a colleague about this new retreat structure where I might not include accommodation. So it’s a one day thing, but it could be a two night thing as well. But the accommodation is up to you. And she was like, oh, some people might not like that. And I said it might fall flat on its face. Yeah, I’m gonna try. You know, I’ve got a formula that works, but I want to try some other formulas within within a profitable range. It has to have that kind of caveat, but I don’t know, I’m also actually, I ran my business always in the green, which is, you know, and I would only do things when I had the money, which, you know, I think, is wise to a degree, but I also wasn’t investing in myself or backing myself. And that changed at my 10 year mark. And so that’s a little bit daunting at times. But I also look, I have a husband, we have a house, I have an investment property, we do have backing behind us that I can take a little bit more risk now. And I think that if you want something to work, sometimes you do have to invest in it and have a go, just but like, for me, looking at what I did over the weekend, cancelling a retreat was like the the risk I calculated the risk and it was too high.
Kate Toon
It’s mitigated risk, isn’t it? It’s not like you’re going to set the world on fire, but you risk within the realms of what risk means to you, you know, and as you say, the stakes aren’t quite as high as maybe they were 15 years ago because you got a partner you got your home you know what I mean? Like you’re not on the absolute breadline, you know, surviving on $20 a week, and that changes your level of confidence and the risks that you’re willing to make. So I love that it’s fantastic. Well, look, you know, we we like to finish the podcast with a couple of quickfire questions. So you talked about self care. You mentioned that it’s not massages, what is self care for you, short and sweet?
Emma Lovell
The nap. I just had one before we got on, had to set an alarm.
Kate Toon
You can nap. I can’t nap.
Emma Lovell
I’m not very good at it. But I am trying and practising. So an hour and 10 minute nap.
Kate Toon
I love it. What is your number one productivity tip?
Emma Lovell
Oh, can I say outsource?
Kate Toon
Yeah okay.
Emma Lovell
Outsource or I don’t know, I’d say rest as well.
Kate Toon
Okay
Emma Lovell
Rest and then you can actually have energy to do the thing you need to do.
Kate Toon
I’d say that’s one for me I’ve had just had for days doing nothing. And then I’ve come in today on fire. Like crap through metrodeal is like a wild beast. And I literally couldn’t have done that unless I’d had four days off. And then obviously, we have to ask this question. Since you are a little travelling beastie. If you could only go to one more location in your life. Where would it be?
Emma Lovell
Oh, it’s such a hard question. But it’s coming up. It’s come up twice in the last week. So I think it’s calling me, Antarctica.
Kate Toon
Oh, why? Why Antarctica?
Emma Lovell
Because it’s so far, it’s so foreign.
Kate Toon
It’s so alien.
Emma Lovell
It’s such a bucket list like and I just think the wildlife there. And I just think the things even survive in that sort of place. And you know, and it is sort of a one percenter type thing. Not really, very few people are going to want to or make the effort to go so it’s my 40th birthday is my goal. 40 I’m 36, in four years. I’d love to that to be my birthday present.
Kate Toon
And you want to go before it’s not there anymore. So yeah, yeah, unfortunately. Yeah. Well, that’s exciting. And you know, there’s some goal setting and intention, you put it out there. And you know, if you put it out there and make it a thing that it genuinely becomes a thing. I’ve fully believe that you’ll be standing with your arm around a penguin if I’ve got the right. Arctic on
Emma Lovell
Yeah, multiple.
Kate Toon
Yeah, there’ll be penguins. You and penguins. And I haven’t just had a penguin put on myself today. Yesterday, penguins are my vibe. Well, look, thank you, Emma Lovell. I wish you every success with your retreat programmes and your coaching. Where can we find out more about you?
Emma Lovell
On my lovely brand new website, Emma Lovell .au. And you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Emma Lovell, and I’m on Instagram. Emma Lovell .au
Kate Toon
There we go. So do check her out and she’s a big fan of the sparkle. So you’ll be noticing some fabulous outfits as well. Thank you so much for coming on the show. Thank you for having me.
Emma Lovell
There we go. What a lovely beast. Emma is also has been a great part of my book journey helping me with my events in my life events so big thanks for that. And also thank you to Connor Jonathan from Australia for their lovely review. Always so relevant. I’m amazed that how spot on Kate’s podcasts are in six figures in school as has done it again. So easy to listen to digest and relate to. I feel she’s somehow spying on me. Highly recommended. I am. I can see right now, Jonathan and you’re wearing a blue t shirt. No, I’m not. That’s creepy. Thank you, Connor, Jonathan. And thanks to you for listening to the show. If you have enjoyed it, please take a minute to leave a five star rating and review wherever you found it. Remember, you can get the show notes at six figures in school hours on Kate toon.com where you’ll also find links to all Emma’s bits and bobs. We’ve got her information about her retreats, her LinkedIn and Instagram, all that groovy stuff. Also, if you enjoy this podcast, and we’d like to chat more with other like minded humans, you can go and join the Facebook group The Misfit entrepreneurs to get wonderful tips, advice and lots of very silly memes. So until next time, happy juggling
Boom
