This month we hosted the final panel discussion of our 2019 Redefining Success Series.
This year we asked Annik Petrou, Siobhan Kangataran and Lovelda Vincenzi (Feb) Lucy Chamberlain, Angela Cox and Michael Kurn (May) and Ruth Kudzi, Jess Gardiner and Laura Try (Nov) to share their stories with us.
Each of our panelist’s has redefined what success means to them and fundamentally changed their ‘career/life plans’ to create the life and business they want including further pivots in 2019 reinforcing the message that change is a life long process.
The panelists
We had an ex-consultant turned Amazon best selling author, speaker, and mindset mentor, an ex-beauty salon owner turned endurance athlete, an ex-deputy head turned Amazon best selling author, speaker, and business mentor, an ex-recruitment consultant turned award-winning business owner and speaker an ex-speaker phobic turned speaker coach, author (to be) and TEDx speaker, as well as ex-football hopeful, turned TV presenter, author, and entrepreneur ex-high level PA turned global network owner, speaker, and entrepreneur, as well as a professional MC and high level, speaking coach and career coach.
The discussion
The intention of these events has been to discuss and better understand what ‘success’ has been, could be, and is for each of our panelist’s. At every event, they answered the following questions:
- Can you briefly introduce yourself (60 seconds)
- Take us back what did success used to look like?
- How do you measure success today and what does life look like?
- What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned since starting your new chapter?
- How do you plan your life (set goals/visualise)?
- Do you have any daily routines that you follow?
- What would you have done differently knowing what you do today?
- What advice would you give your younger self?
The conclusion
All of our panelists shared the highs and the lows of their journey with us. The overriding conclusion was that success is subjective. The ingredients of success can include time, money, freedom, passion, purpose and impact and are not the same for everyone.
They all agreed that change had been worth it – but that with the benefit of hindsight most of them said they would have done more research, had more savings, spoken to people about how they were feeling before they made changes as in some cases there could have been a more comfortable transition.
On the other hand, the ones who did feel like this also acknowledged that in not knowing what they didn’t know, they just had to keep going and found a way to turn things around.
To summarise the path to ‘success’ is not direct whether you are choosing to follow the traditional route or make it up as you go along both take time, and involve highs and lows, but one route all of the panelists agreed felt better than how they did things before and gave them the lifestyle they wanted, but it’s not for everyone and one path isn’t right and the other wrong – it comes down to what makes you happy.
How is Success created?
Success is created from a belief that anything is possible. It is possible to be happy and ‘successful’ seemed to be the overriding consensus of all 3-panel discussions. They all also agreed that it wasn’t ‘overnight’, easy, a straight line or an easier option.
In fact could the ‘lifestyle’ they have each chosen to adopt be classed as successful? It’s 100% subjective, which means that the creation of it is subjective also.
What does this mean for you?
Attendees of our events have gone on to make changes in their own lives, inspired by what they heard the panelists sharing. We’ve heard from people who have decided it was finally time to leave a relationship, to start working out, to quit their job and try the business idea they’d been harboring for years, to end an energy-sucking friendship and to choose to prioritise what makes them happy above all else. As well as one guy who found the courage to speak about his mental health and anxiety struggles (we then went on to host a panel discussion on Manxiety with him and two others in March as a result.
Change is simple, but not easy, because it requires that we take action in spite of fear.
What’s also become apparent is that fear is a liar and it is never going to go away, but the opportunities are because time is finite, the clock is ticking, life moves on whether we like it or not.
MASSIVE THANKS to all our sponsors this year:
Cornerstone Office Search, Pizza Pilgrims, Pow Food, Punchy Drinks, Speaker Express, Sea Arch, C&C Search, VCXY, Mr Freed, Feedr & We Work for hosting us.
WHAT NEXT…
If you’re ready for things to change, but you don’t have time to try something new, then you will love our 8-minute activity challenge.
At Success by Design Training, we teach something called the 888 Formula, a holistic approach and framework that helps you create better work/life balance and your own formula for a happy life.
Your life can change 8-Minutes a day. It’s easy, simple and fun.
Getting started…
- Sign up to the 8 Day Challenge starting on 2 December
- Download the 8-Min Challenge Workbook
- Pick an activity to try during the challenge
- Turn to page 4 of the workbook and start tracking your activity progress daily
- Join the 888 Community & let the group know what you’re up to (use the posts we add to keep yourself accountable)
Pick an activity that you want to try for 8-Mins today and commit to doing it.
You can do a different activity every day or the same, or alternate them by the days of the week.
We would recommend that if you choose meditation it’s something that you try for 8 days in a row to build the muscle.
Starting a new habit is like going to the gym. It needs to become a routine and a habit for changes to take effect.
For that reason, we recommend that you download our 8-Min Challenge Workbook and write down what you commit to doing and keep track of your progress.
“Progress beats Perfection” Anon
Like a diet you fall of the wagon start again that day…you can do your activity at any time of the day you. We’d recommend first thing in the morning (it’s a great way to set your day up for success).
Got a question, get in touch.
Click here to sign up to the challenge and download your free workbook
We’d love to hear from you, is your business ready to consider a new approach Contact Us.
If you want to come to an event – check out what’s going on in the 2019 Calendar.
Let’s get social, find us on Instagram, or join our free online Community Success by Design and share your thoughts with us.