16/06/2026
I thought it was time I reintroduced myself… you know, just in case I have any new followers (🤞🏼) who are thinking “what’s this bird going on about”…
It’s a long one… brace yourself Rodders! (IYKYK) 🤣
It’s not the most interesting story of me; I haven’t broken records, powered through to the top, become a millionaire or cured diseases. But it’s a real story. Maybe a relatable one, I’m not sure 🤷🏻♀️
I’m 43, married, have a six year old boy. I have a job, my own business and run a local networking group too.
I’ve never been career minded, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up 🤣, but I’ve tried my hand at a few things. Some things I loved, some I hated and some just got me through hard times.
I left school as a girl who “had potential, easily distracted though” and “could get some fantastic grades if she excelled herself”. I ended up with fairly good GCSE grades, considering, but know I could’ve done better. Exams filled me with dread, I could never concentrate, when I revised, I read the words on the page but they never sank into my brain. But I passed… 4 Bs 4 Cs and an E. That E was history and my teacher was awful, so I stopped trying.
College… made some bad choices, probably chose a bad crowd, rarely attended because it was all just a struggle to me. Firstly the subjects I chose, then had to start again in year two because I realised I couldn’t cope with the subjects I’d chosen. Who thought psychology was a good idea when I had a brain like mine?!
So did some business GNVQ. That could leave a few doors open for me, surely?!
Anyway, I digress.
I worked at a car dealership for my first proper job out of college. On £7500 a year at the age of 19. Loved it, but very poor money for the efforts I put in. Then I found a job that I knew I’d be good at. Conference and Events Coordinator. And I LOVED it! Then I got a better job, a Wedding and Events Coordinator… this was a dream! I was good at something! (Although, a bit like J-Lo… always the wedding planner, never the bride). That job sadly ended abruptly with redundancy. I was devastated as I’d also just put through a mortgage to buy my first house! 🫣
I quickly got another job, a sales manager at a well known hotel company and I can only describe my boss as Hi**er. Or the spawn of Hi**er. The fact she was German too, probably didn’t help. Anyway two years I put up with that awful job, then redundancy struck again. I begged for voluntary redundancy. Finally I got it. Second redundancy in two years though, was feeling tough on my brain and my heart 💔. A little like rejection. Something I later realise is quite a detrimental thing for me!
I spent a considerable amount of time searching for jobs, temping, (god that’s awful!!!!), then landed what I thought was a great job! Administrator at a furniture store. 11 years I stayed there. And was blinded by the fact I had a job and was “saved”, to what was a very toxic environment. It was the place where people talked about you when you left the room, were bitchy, nasty and moody. I didn’t like who I became either… I’m a kind person, but you start to morph into the people you spend the most time with. I think what made me realise it was so wrong there, was when they had a sweepstake about me. “Who was fatter, Lizzie or this other girl”??? A sweepstake about my weight! I wasn’t even that fat, but it’s always good to know what people think of you. 🫣
If only they knew the struggles I’d had with my weight and thoughts about myself, they may have not done that awful thing. But then actually, some of them were that awful, they probably would’ve done!
Still, I stupidly stayed in this job, with these arseholes for several years after. It was only pregnancy that gave me a reason to not be there. My boss used to tell me how much it would “sting” when I gave birth. Who says that to a pregnant woman? This was a grown man! Then he’d say how much I NEEDED him after I’d had my child. I NEEDED the money he paid me. God he was awful. What I NEEDED was a way out of that hell hole!
Then along came my little boy. Oh did I fall in love. He was the happiest, chillest baby I could’ve wished for! I was responsible for this beautiful bundle of blue eyed gorgeousness! And I loved him 🥰
One day, some random lady came to my house to “save me some money”. No idea who she was, who the company was, but I’d been recommended by a family member so it must’ve been good. I signed up as a customer. Was shown an opportunity to earn some money in my spare time too but I was firmly in my baby bubble. I was NOT in a place to be working, I was all about my little boy.
Fast forward a few months… what happened? COVID-19. LOCKDOWN 🤯
Who would’ve thunk that we’d be in a real life plague?! Our world as we knew it, had ended and I was blocked off from all my loved ones as a first time mum… Just as my little boy was getting to recognise people and get a lovely little personality! 😢
My husband was furloughed and in all honesty, we had the best time together, just the three of us. We did singalongs (which were hilarious), we walked, played and had so many BBQS. My little boy was a pleasure to be around (my husband was ok too 🤣).
After one month, I watched my husband playing with my little boy and remembered the opportunity that lady had shown me a few months before. I thought now could’ve been the right time… so I joined!
In my first month, I helped some friends and family save money on their bills. It helped ease their boredom of sitting at home too, no doubt. Then I got my first commission statement… I’d earned more with four customers, than I earned in my full time job that I hated! Mind blown 🤯
It was then, that I knew I had a way out. Maternity leave was due to end, my then boss thought I “needed” him and that job. I skipped into that hell hole with my resignation and skipped back out (metaphorically of course - and with a metaphorical middle finger firmly up). I was free!
In my new role, with my new business, I had good months and bad months. I didn’t realise that my husband going back to work and leaving me and my child alone (still in lockdown but slightly more relaxed), would affect my mental health so much.
Loneliness was now a thing. I got lower and lower until I hit the bottom. Crying all the time, lacking in confidence (which in all honesty, I had my whole life), lacking in motivation, drive, the will to even shower on some days. It was tough. Tougher for others too, I’m sure, but for me, as a first time mum without her village, I was isolated.
Things got a bit more bearable as the restrictions lifted. I got to see family again. I never gave up on my new business, but I didn’t power through it like some people do. I existed.
I often wondered why I was so consistently inconsistent, when everyone around me just kept going so solidly. It was my confidence and my brain that was the blocker. Every rejection was taken to heart, I lacked the motivation to sit and make calls or send texts, but mostly it was confidence I lacked.
I had to find another job, just so I had a regular income, because I was unable to commit and discipline myself enough to earn like all the other successful people did in the business.
I found a lovely job, a few days a week, with lovely people… it was so alien to me! I realised I spent a lot of time apologising for being me, worrying about what people thought of me, and hard to accept these were what normal people were like to work with! Nice people! Who genuinely liked me for me!
I attended a networking group too, which was so out of my comfort zone. It was a group to try and grow my personal business, but realised there was a lot of toxicity there too so escaped as quickly as I could… no one wants to repeat history!
I kept plodding along in my business, dipping in and out, inconsistently (standard me!), but knew I had to make it work! I decided to set up my own networking group, one that didn’t leave me with sweaty palms, heart palpitations, and anxiety. I wanted a chilled out, loving and respectful place for business people to come together. Well wow, it took off and that group are part of my tribe now!
I could feel myself growing with confidence though… who was this person??? Yes I’ve had therapy, counselling and self esteem training over the years, but little did I know that finding the right group of people (my networking group and my business friends) cheerleading me through life, I could get more confidence, become more consistent and start to build a great business!
I’m still not the fastest, I’ve not earned the most (but still a decent five figure income in my six years), but I’ve got support, success and drive. I lost weight (although this will always be a struggle for me, until I’ve fought those food demons), I feel like I belong. I feel loved and not by the people around me, but by me. I love the feeling of confidence and when you have confidence, you’re unstoppable!
So I guess you’re wondering why I’ve shared so much detail about myself? Well this is just a snippet of what’s gone on in my life, but my point is that anything is possible. You can better yourself. You can love yourself. And you can create a future you and your family deserve.
I’m still waiting for my “superpower” to click in my brain, but when it does, you’re going to see some amazing things!
I’m me; kind, caring, thoughtful, funny, forgetful, a bit deaf (no, really I am!), and consistently inconsistent, but I try, and I don’t give up.
I’ll never give up. 💜
