How I went from BURNT-OUT
“Yes Girl” to helping Entrepreneurs build a business(and Life) they love!
Hey, I'm Toni
Business & Mindset Coach to Entrepreneurs who want to build a better business for a better life.
Today, I love helping driven women to build
Purposeful, Profitable & Sustainable businesses.
Because you can have it all - time, location and financial freedom - while creating true impact!
But, it wasn't always that way for me...
Get your hot chocolate READY.
It’s story time…
Two Guitars And A Boeing 737.
I never wanted to be ordinary.
When I was a kid, I dreamt about travelling the world.
As a teenager, I wanted to be a rockstar and at 18, with two guitars on my back (cause everyone needs an electric aaand an acoustic right?!)
I boarded a plane to London a.k.a. destination “Dreams-totally-can-come-true.”
For most of my 20s I chased the dream, I travelled the world performing in
London, Chicago, Dubai and sunny SA.
After a particularly taxing time playing the cover circuit, an argument with my manager,
and an injury to my voice - which resulted in me and my band being fired.
(wow - I just realized I have actually been fired before.)
I took some time off to recover.
Somewhere in the mix of things, I studied law but I never practised. (I know.. go figure!)
The truth is that I never wanted to be screwed over in a music contract again...
Aaaand because boredom was never my style,
I opened and closed my first failed business.
Get a 'Real Job' They Said.
It will Be Fun They Said.
With my thirties looming ominously,
I finally resigned myself to the fact that I needed a “real job”
and with a bit of luck I managed to land one at a
Business Management Consultancy.
At 28, with no prior corporate experience,
I had a lot to PROVE.
To prove I could do it
To prove I could work a real job
in a world where my peers had nearly
a decade of experience on me.
I worked hard and
I quickly earned my stripes.
(Iooking back, I was like a zebra in the Amazon. I didn’t quite fit.)
I quickly became a “yes” girl.
A people pleaser.
I met every deadline and every target.
I got sh*t done.
While everyone was gossiping at the coffee station, I was launching 7-figure projects
for multi-national conglomerates.
I beamed when my clients gushed about their new campaigns. I revelled in their successes.
I. Was. Someone.
A force to be reckoned with.
And yet I felt the need to prove my worth. Constantly.
I was eager to please and desperate for approval.
I got so used to taking on other peoples' work to meet yet another
'tighter-than-your-snuggest-Levis-on-a-hot-date' kind of deadline.
I forgot who I was.
I stopped making time for myself.
I thought I could take it. I was strong.
I was a fighter - a winner - an A-player.
I. Was. Wrong.
Enough
Really, I was just overworked and my cup was filled with empty promises
of bonuses that never materialized because apparently the company, as a whole,
didn’t make target - again.
I had bought myself a one-way ticket to burnT out and I had flipped the ON-switch for
an auto-immune disease which crushed my spirit. I no longer felt enough.
Healthy enough.
Skinny enough.
Fun enough.
Pretty enough.
Smart enough.
Enoughness - or the lack thereof - was the most debilitating syndrome of all.
The Only New Years Resolution
A Girl Should Stick To.
I spent December debating my future. I was sick and I was miserable.
My family and friends (the ones I had left) were soooo over my work sagas...
I knew I had to do something!??
I had NO savings and I had A TON of bills to pay.
(Most of them remnants from my previous business experiment)
Call me brave or call me stupid - on New Year’s Day I sent my boss a
text.
... and I lived happily ever after. NOT.
The jump from employee to business owner was tough. I wish I could say I jumped and the blow was cushioned with crisp, green, dollar bills. But the reality was that my credit card was being drained faster than Cape Towns’ dams during the worst drought in history.
“Happy New Year
P.S. I Quit! ”
And when things were FINALLY looking up, I Realised
I Was Building The Wrong Freaking Business.
And when things were FINALLY looking up, I Realised
I Was Building The Wrong Freaking Business.
Did I Just Join A Circus?
I was building myself another 9-5 job
(or rather a 7am - 9pm kind of job)
Even worse, I was now officially “a juggler.”
(I know I said I didn’t want to be ordinary,
but I never meant that I wanted to join the circus - sigh.)
I made soooooo many mistakes.
The biggest one was not feeling good enough and hiding from the world.
The only thing I was confident about at this point was
I knew nothing about selling.
I was great at “my thing”
managing projects, crafting brands, putting together kick-ass training experiences and online e-learning programs, running leadership and people transformation campaigns...
I always knew exactly what my clients needed and how to give it to them.
And... I had never lost a pitch.
But now that I had to do it for myself…
I couldn’t even get a pitch… because I had to
I didn’t have a clue.
I was sooooo lucky that some of my old clients loved me enough to want to work with me. But as I quickly discovered, referrals only take you so far.
find NEW clients. From. Scratch.
Sh*t Got Real
I practised some tough love on myself and got real about the kind of business model I was building, my rollercoaster of
“I‘m too busy delivering epic-ness for my clients, I just don’t have time to sell”
quickly became
"Oh boy am I in trouble - I need to find a client ASAP so I can resuscitate my bank account”
as soon as a project was wrapped...
I got real about my sales avoidance tactics.
I got real about my messy back office - the need to get my admin sorted… that kind of stuff.
And I got real about giving myself permission to fail forwards and not beat myself up. My self esteem had taken some serious bashing over the years and it was time to be kind to myself and get my mindset back in the game.
I had to put on my big girl (rockstar worthy) boots
and learn how to translate my corporate skills into
entrepreneur ninja-boss skills.
I had to learn how to sell.
-
I learnt how to get clear on everything, my niche, my msging, my offer, my clients, my strategies, my systems - everything.
-
I learnt how to market myself and get visible - on social media (something I had deliberately avoided for ever)
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I learnt how to clearly define my offer, so that my ideal clients understood me before we even spoke.
-
I learnt how to become rejection proof because... did I mention I had to learn how to sell?
-
I learnt how to stop doing everything and build the right business model - aka a business blueprint that can scale to empire levels - one that I’ll still love 5 years from now - and one that doesn’t burn me out. (B-side of Robert Kayosakis cash flow quadrant anyone?)
But most important - I learnt how to enjoy the journey and how to find me again.
To dream again. To BE again. Not just DO.
And I learnt that I could help other people transition from that burnt-out corporate lifestyle to boss babe, shining their light and sharing their gifts with the world...
From Stuck To Sizzle…
I've always had a reputation for kicking-ass
I've always had a reputation for being a kick-ass teacher & coach.
(all the way back to when I was 17 and bunking the last period of school on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s so I could teach guitar at a local primary school where my students rocked Zombie by the Cranberries at their annual talent show while the other kids played some half-baked classical tune…)
Where was I… oh yeah,
I’ve always had a knack for teaching / mentoring / coaching and I've decided to put it to good use.
Which is why I now coach entrepreneurs
to build an online service based business that they love.
There are two ways to spread light - be the candle or be the mirror.
Because dreams change and today my dream is to help as many entrepreneurs to
build a business that FITS them.
I used to think that if I shone too brightly, it would take away the shine from other people.
But then I realised that when I shine, I can help others to shine even brighter.
I learnt how to be the person I was before the thing that dimmed my shine
(one of my favourite quotes from unknown lol).
And you can too.
Are you ready to change your life and build a business you love?
Let’s get on a call.
I work with entrepreneurs from all walks of the entrepreneurship kingdom the wannabes, the startups, the online service based solopreneurs, the product based businesses, the freelancers…
YOU
Oh honey, I see you. I know what you're thinking -
But Toni, easy for you to say, I just don't know if this is going to work for me...
All you really need to know is...
You’re building the Right Business,
doing the right things. at the right time. with the right tools.
Lucky for you, I’ve been through the journey before (and not 100 years ago where I can’t even remember what it was like to be in your shoes… cause it was just yesterday that my rockstar boots turned into corporate heels and most recently into Havanna Flops…)
Ready for a wardrobe change (and a life makeover) - let’s build your dream business, together.
Schedule a discovery call to see how I can help you.
With the Right COACH!
With the Right COACH!
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I love to mind-feed first thing in the morning before I crawl out of bed. I listen to 10 mins of motivational & positive vibes while my brain is still waking up, which primes me for a great day!
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I have two golden girls (golden retrievers) who I love to bits!
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The next thing I tackle on my bucket list is ‘Learning Surf’ (well, right after I move to the coast.)
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My favourite author is JK Rowling - I’ve read the entire Harry Potter series twice - did I mention I’m a book nerd? Shhh! Don’t tell! ;)
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I’m super shy in new social situations and absolutely hate networking events, BUT I love speaking on stage and helping others grow - go figure.
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I love traveling - it’s good for the soul and incredibly humbling to realize how small we are in this thing called Earth and human consciousness. And I love experiencing new cultures, sounds, tastes and scenery.
FUN FACTS about me...
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I’m working on new material for my new album which I will be releasing in Q3 2020. I had to stop performing and playing guitar for a few years due to an auto-immune condition affecting my tendons, but I am super stoked to say that I am finally writing again and the album is going to be awesome! I can’t wait to share! Stay posted ;)
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Some of my favourite things: toasted marshmallows over a campfire in the bush, the smell of horses, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, dancing in the waves, listening to the birds, watching the sunset, growing my own herbs, the smell of a brand new book, the sound of a cole-clark acoustic guitar, yoga & meditation, a great meal shared with awesome company, laughing til tears roll down my face, high-fives, and lots of smiles.
The Best Life Lesson:
Take Everything With A Pinch Of Salt. And A Bucketful Of Grace.
My Favorite Quote:
'You Can't Stop The Waves. But You Can Learn To Surf.'
I believe in daring to dream...
