185. Career Uncaged - Shifting From Employee to Solopreneur

This third episode in our Redefining Careers series takes a look behind the scenes on the realities of leaving a corporate job and setting up on your own. Joined by the inspirational Matt Sims, he shares his experience of leaving his role where he had been for 8 years, to become a solopreneur focusing on his passion and purpose. Lots of freedom and space to focus on the things you want to, equally lots of tasks that need to be done in a self-sufficient way. He also reassures us that many of the aspects that can appear daunting - finance, marketing, time management etc - actually are not as tough as you might think. The essence for success as a solopreneur can be defined as self-belief along with a positive network of people to support and empower you.

An ideal listen for anyone feeling trapped and wants a reminder of the big wide world of work that is out there; or has a glimmer of an idea for self-employment at some point in the future and wants to start building the dream vision.

You can contact Matt through his LinkedIn profile Matt Sims and his fab Ever-So-Lean podcast is both educational and fun to listen to (great ideas for bringing Continuous Improvement mindset to everyday life).

Curious for more? Check out our relevant podcasts from our library:

Ep.130 Empowering People For Matrix Working - more with guest Matt Sims
Ep.103 Redefining What Success Means For You Now - when life changes your aims
Ep. 89 Finding the Time to Be Proactive - practical tips for building a side-hustle
Ep.178 Protecting Yourself and Others From Burnout - balancing ambition & wellness

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Secrets from a coach Thrive and maximise your potential in the evolving workplace. Your weekly podcast with Debbie Green of Wishfish and Laura Thompson-Staveley of Phenomenal Training. Debs, laura, are you alright? Yeah, how are you doing? How's your week going so far?

Speaker 2: 0:28

It's been a bit of a roller coaster of a week Law, to be honest, but actually having lots of conversations and knowing you've got a great support network around you makes a huge, huge difference, so I'm always very grateful for that one. How's your week?

Speaker 1: 0:43

Yeah, similar. There are days where you then think is there an easier way to earn one's living than this? So I think, sometimes hour by hour, it can feel a bit full on. But you know, every moment, every now and then you get a moment, just reflect and think am I happy? Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?

Speaker 1: 1:01

Yeah, actually, when I think about some of the conversations that have been enabled as a result of you know something that we're running and it gives that space for people to have those conversations, I think this is what I was put here on the planet to do and I feel exceptionally grateful for that, which is why, as part of our careers redefined series, we've heard from the amazing Andyy pooley about how actually diversity in your career gives you choices later on. So that goes out to anyone that's worrying about have they had a good career? Is it maybe a bit messy and a bit over the all over the place? Actually going a little bit here and a little bit there at point, that gives you an amazing storyline to be able to draw upon in terms of that wisdom and giving you choices at some point in your career, even though it might not feel like it right now. We've then had a look at well, what does that mean in terms of creating those career light bulb moments? So giving that opportunity to go actually, maybe I was, you know, I was put on this planet to then do a little bit more of this or a little bit more of that. And so last week's episode was looking at creating those kind of career light bulbs, those moments that sometimes you can be, have a chance conversation and it just opens your eyes up to something which might take you a number of years to arrive at that point.

Speaker 1: 2:22

And so I am so looking forward to hearing our guest this week, matt Sims, who I know we've been in conversation before, which is what are actually the realities behind that career light bulb moment of thinking? I've been in this role for X amount of years. I've got this kind of burning desire to either do a bit more of this or a bit less of that, or do something a bit different. Shall I do it, shall I stay, stick or twist, and I'm really looking forward to hearing from Matt's brilliant way of talking about stuff, and I guess this goes out to anyone who's thinking actually, what does a career mean to me now? What might it mean if I leave the safety of a corporate role and maybe branch out and do something a little bit more on my own?

Speaker 2: 3:32

Yeah, definitely, it was such a good chat, laurel, and I know what series, as we said earlier, is all about. What does it mean to redefine your career? What does it mean to follow your personal passion and ensure you get the best out of yourself and others that you're working with or working around? And, as we're delighted once again to be joined by Matt, who was probably on our pod, we're trying to figure out what wasn't it, matt? Was it about a year ago? Give or take Got to be.

Speaker 2: 3:58

Got to must be a year ago, isn't it? And you're in a very different position to then as to where you are now. So give our listeners a little bit of an update as to what's happened on your career journey to get you to here today chatting to us. Yeah it's a weird one isn't it?

Speaker 3: 4:13

It's really strange when you say it like that. It makes me realize, yeah, there has been significant change. So I was a very large corporate organization where I've been for about eight years and I was doing my podcast on the side and playing about with that and it kind of grew and grew and grew and it turned from a hobby into potentially something that could be full time and my passion has always been communication and engaging with others and meeting new people. And it got to the stage where I kind of got hit a crossroads and I had to make a decision. Do I continue my comfortable safe nine till five, which was actually probably like nine till ten at night there?

Speaker 2: 4:56

is no. Nine till five is there anymore? No, there's not is there.

Speaker 3: 4:58

I was saying that to my son the other day. That's the olden days, Monday to Friday nine till five.

Speaker 3: 5:06

Yeah, I could either stay with that or I could follow my passion and try something. And the worst case scenario if it doesn't work out, I can get another job. And it was a hard decision to make, but also an easy decision to make, because it was like you know what this feels, so right. So I took the jump and I left full-time employment on New Year's Eve and started the new year as a what do they call it? A solopreneur.

Speaker 2: 5:32

Yes, that's the word. I think it is the word we hear a lot, Certainly here on Dragon's Den. A solopreneur, don't you?

Speaker 3: 5:38

You get large wads of cash after that. That hasn't quite managed that one yet no, so I went out on my own and under my own brand, so doing continuous improvement, leadership, coaching, consulting and the podcast full time, which has been a real revelation for me and it's led to so many additional opportunities. So things like keynote speaking I've been doing loads of keynote speaking for some huge organizations. A couple of weeks ago I did the NHS.

Speaker 2: 6:11

I saw that that popped up on your socials and I was like I am super impressed. So, yeah, how did you even prep yourself for that?

Speaker 3: 6:18

do you know what? I was going in there with the intent of saying why am I always 175 in the queue when I call up my GP? But when I got there it looked so lovely I didn't mention it, but it was uh, it was just an amazing opportunity that you know. They approached me and sort of said we're having this, um, this away day, this coaching day with with the teams. Would you come and give a talk on culture, growth and and how to build a sustainable, positive culture that's psychologically safe? And I thought do you know what? That's a bit of me. And it was wonderful because I met some new people again and I met some other facilitators that were there who were doing similar things to me. Some of them were sort of five years ahead of me, some of them were two years ahead of me, so it was great to be able to chat with them and understand what they've done. And, yeah, these opportunities are just so exciting.

Speaker 2: 7:04

Yeah, they are, aren't they? And I think the fact that you made that decision to completely, I suppose, follow your passion and redefine your career now, at any point in your life, I think it's a stretch as well right, it's a stretch of your professionalism. Your maybe doubting your capability, there's all sorts of things that go in in your head when you make that decision. So, for you, what have been some of the things that you've watched out for in yourself so that you don't get caught up with? I can't do this mode.

Speaker 3: 7:37

Yeah, do you know what? It's a real rollercoaster, and I find that it's worse in the evenings, the evenings when I'm tired and when it's been a long day. They're the periods that I tend to think I can't do this, this isn't going to work, it's not happening. Nothing that I do works, and then I wake up in the morning. Nothing's changed overnight, other than I've had a good night's sleep.

Speaker 2: 7:58

And.

Speaker 3: 7:58

I'll feel like do you know what? Today's a good day. And things will happen, happen. I'll attend two or three meetings that day and they'll go really, really well and I'll come away from it feeling real positivity and and I'm buzzing off of that interaction, and then I feel like I'm. I think for me that the biggest, biggest thing that I've done is leaving that large organization which is full of people, always around you yeah then going on my own.

Speaker 3: 8:23

I felt very isolated at the thought of that. I joined a networking group like the Chamber of Commerce in my local area and they've been so supportive of me and they've given me that work family that I left behind. So I still feel supported. I've got people that I can go and meet with once or twice a week, just have a coffee with and just spill your guts to them and then they sort of spill their guts to you. Having that network around me is definitely. I don't think I would have been able to last until now without that support.

Speaker 2: 8:55

Yeah, and that's such an important part, isn't it? Because we all want to feel like we belong. But, as you say, when you've gone out and you've got into the solopreneur category and, as you said, you feel quite isolated and having that ability to reach out. So what I suppose for people listening in that might be thinking wow, Matt, you've done a huge step, given up your corporate in inverted commas career and with a regular salary, coming in to just go it alone. What would you say to them if there's someone thinking I can do that?

Speaker 3: 9:30

Oh no, I can't. Oh yes, I can, oh no, I can't. What would you say? Yeah, I would say if it, if it's your passion and, um, you really believe that you love doing that, that thing and you believe is what you're supposed to do. Find a way to do it. Because if I'd rather be sitting in my nursing home when I'm in my 80s looking back thinking oh, thinking, oh, that was good fun, it didn't quite work out, and then I end up with another opportunity. But looking back going, I really wish I'd have tried to do that and that was the risk.

Speaker 3: 9:54

I think there's things I found that throughout my career. Things have happened at times. They needed to happen to allow me to progress forward. Maybe at the time I didn't realise that was the case and often I thought I was ready for something and I've been adamant on like a promotion. I am ready for my promotion, I want to be promoted. It doesn't happen. I get frustrated and angry. Then you get, you accept it and you move forward and I look back and I think I wasn't ready for that promotion.

Speaker 2: 10:22

You kind of realise it.

Speaker 3: 10:23

So I think I managed to get some savings behind me to give me that comfortable bit of breathing space, and I think I made it happen. And then I think you've got to commit to it wholly. I stopped looking at LinkedIn jobs, I stopped the notifications because, although it sounds silly, I felt that by looking at it it was kind of like me saying to the universe I'm kind of thinking that I might get a job as well and just threw myself wholeheartedly into creating this brand and just just give it everything I've possibly got, because I'd rather know I gave it everything and it didn't work than think I could have done more yeah, no, and I hear you and I think again for people who are listening in going wow, wow, where did you even begin to?

Speaker 2: 11:08

obviously you had a passion, so that's, you know, that's, that's a start, but the stretch then to turn it into reality, where did you even begin?

Speaker 3: 11:19

it's one of those things that just happened. So I began by starting a podcast for a bit of fun and it snowballed into something that became popular and people were then chasing me for it. So people were coming on saying I want to come on your podcast, I want to promote my book, I want to talk about my experiences and because that happened, it pushed me down that road a little bit further. And then the more I got involved in that, the more hungry I got for it and then the more excited I got for it, and I think it just happened. But I think I wrote a business plan as well, which is I never thought I'd write a business plan Very professional.

Speaker 3: 11:55

I know it wouldn't stand up to Lord Sugar. I'm sure it wouldn't.

Speaker 2: 11:59

Well, I don't know Watching some of their interviews. It makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Speaker 3: 12:03

Oh yeah, the competition's not hard, but I wrote a business plan for myself so that I could just look at it and get it all. I found that downloading that out of my brain into a document and structuring it made me think about it and made me think about what I want to do Now. I didn't go to town, I didn't say I want to make this much turnover and all this, but I mapped out what I wanted to do in terms of my business model and the things I wanted to create, and that's helped me because I can look back at when I'm having those bad days. I can look back at that and go, oh, that's where I wanted to be, but actually I've done this, this and this which is far beyond whatever I said I was going to do yeah, yeah, okay.

Speaker 2: 12:43

Which is, and again, that ability to stop and think and work out what you wanted. So how much of your previous career has enabled you to think that way today, to be able to live your life, I suppose, and with your passion uh, probably 75.

Speaker 3: 12:58

A lot of it it's, it's the learnings that I've had throughout and the things I've even forgotten about that just come back when you're doing something and I just think I I think about things very differently to what I would have done eight years ago, for example totally different. I mean my world, I've you. We do learn as human beings. We learn so much that we don't realize we're learning. That's around us and I think it all, even the bad experiences. I've had some terrible leaders in the past, really bad ones, and I probably draw upon my experiences of them more than I do of the good ones yes, yeah.

Speaker 2: 13:33

So you're not going to be one of those bad leaders, but now you're leading yourself right and um yeah so how is that that's?

Speaker 3: 13:40

weird, that's hard. I'm a terrible employee are you? Yeah, terrible, don't listen work all the hours. God sends you yeah, yeah, the difference though I do work all the hours god sends me, but I'm doing it for myself and it's and it's my. Everything I do is for an end, that I can see that I'm not asking someone to sign it off or approve it.

Speaker 2: 14:02

It's me and I get it.

Speaker 3: 14:04

Yeah, exactly, and if I make a mistake, I go do you know what that didn't work and I go again and I do something different. But I like that. I like that ability to be able to do that and I like that ability to be able to spin multiple plates as well. When you work in a large organization, like I did, you plates as well. When you work in a in a large organization, like I did, you can become very typecast in one area of expertise. So I was continuous improvement and that was it, whereas now I dabble in marketing, I'm doing finance, yeah, I'm doing hr on myself, I'm setting myself up with pgp yeah you do everything, don't you?

Speaker 3: 14:39

I'm a fleet manager, I manage my car, you do. You learn new skills and you said to me a year ago you've got to go and do that stuff, I'd have gone. I can't do any of that, I don't know how to do any of that, but you learn and you build a network around you of people that do know and you ask them and you just find your way. Then you're like this tax returns. I could never have done that. Yet I found an accountant. It was really easy. He spoke to me about what I need, told me what to send him, and it's just like how easy is that I was terrified of that.

Speaker 2: 15:10

But you're not on your own. As you said, when you start reaching out to people and they're the experts you realise you don't have to be the experts in accounting and bookkeeping.

Speaker 3: 15:18

Someone else is the expert, isn't it, which you have easy access to yeah, which is so cool and it does help when your numbers are really low. I mean, my eight-year-old probably could have done my returns.

Speaker 2: 15:27

Hey, that's just the beginning. You're right at the beginning, but I think you know when you're thinking about your passion for what you do, because obviously, as you said, getting pigeonholed potentially into continuous improvement label, but you do so much more than that.

Speaker 3: 15:44

So how does your passion really help you in the world of work that you're doing today.

Speaker 3: 15:46

Do you know what I've always said? My passion is continuous improvement, but actually, when I think about it, I think my passion is people. If I took the people out of continuous improvement, it wouldn't be what I love about it. And I think what I love is interacting with people, engaging with people, potentially changing their lives, just making that little bit of difference to their work life, their home life, their thinking, their outlook. That's what drives me, and I think working for myself as a solopreneur and being able to go into organizations and people and change the way they think, that is super special and I think that's something that when you work for an organization, you can do that, but not as easy because you've got the organization's values that you're you're adhering to, particularly at senior level. You're then representing that organization and I think when you're on your own, you represent you and your brand and your beliefs, and if they're right I say right I mean what is right but if they're good beliefs and they, have positive impact.

Speaker 2: 16:48

Yeah, yeah, yes exactly. And if you're able to articulate them, as you say at the beginning, communication is going to be key for getting your message out there and being able to move away from where you were and stand strong in who you are today and what it means for you, isn't it? It's so important to do that as well?

Speaker 3: 17:08

Yeah, I think that comes with age as well, doesn't it? That confidence within yourself of who you are and what you believe in. Yes, I spent so much of my youth trying to be what other people wanted or what other people expected, or think how other people thought, that it would stress me out and I'd tie myself up in knots. I'd try and be the leader that somebody else was, or or do things the way the other person did. And I think when you get older, you get to that stage. You think you know what I am, who I am and I and if you believe in that and you believe in yourself, you're not trying to impress people. You go out that and you believe in yourself and you're not trying to impress people and you go out there and you're authentic and you show empathy towards people. Nine times out of 10, they respond to that and react well, and I find that's what I've had.

Speaker 3: 17:50

The client meets that I've had have been wonderful, particularly in areas that you know hospitality. I've never worked in the hospitality industry, but they've been so receptive of my. I started doing coffee reviews for a bit of fun. Yeah, I saw that this is good. This is mad, right, I wrote. I did this coffee review when I went to a networking meeting.

Speaker 3: 18:09

I was drinking so much coffee yeah and I was like I'm gonna rate it on taste, um, the side that, the type of the cup, the way it's presented, the quantity available, blah, blah, blah. Um, I did this coffee review and I've now got hotels approaching me asking me to go to them to do coffee reviews.

Speaker 2: 18:26

Oh my God, that is just brilliant, isn't it? It's just crazy.

Speaker 3: 18:30

But I love it because it's a bit of fun. I go there, I interact with them, I have a good laugh and a giggle with them. I get a free cup of coffee normally, which I enjoy. It's just really good fun and working in that. And that's not all I'm doing with hospitality. I'm doing some continuous improvement stuff as well, but it's an area that I never would have foreseen myself going into. But the principles of leadership, the principles of continuous improvement, the principles of respect for people, they're exactly the same. It's just a different process.

Speaker 2: 18:59

Yes, yeah, and I think that's really key, isn't it? Because I know, when you and I know you do a lot of work, you know, in your previous role and still do with the younger people coming into the world of work today and you can see their have a passion and a desire and a commitment to be the best self. But, as you say, they put this um, they I don't know what I want to call this like level down on them to go, oh, oh, maybe I can't speak up, and I think that's such a shame because what they bring is massive, isn't it? And in your experience of working with that new generation coming into the world of work and starting in their careers, what would you say to them? If people are listening here, going I'm just about to step into my first proper job or this is my next step up in the ladder, my first step up in the ladder, what would you say to them?

Speaker 3: 19:47

I would say to them find yourself and find a role model, Because I think you're right, particularly the very young people that are just going into work.

Speaker 3: 19:56

All through school and education we're taught there's a right and a wrong, a true and a false, a correct and an incorrect, the red pen versus the green pen, the smiley face, the sad face, and I think we all adhere to that as we go through our working life, particularly when we're very new in the working world.

Speaker 3: 20:15

We're so frightened of doing something wrong and we're so frightened of making a mistake that's going to jeopardize our progression or how we look in front of our peers or our boss, and I think that it's down to people like us that have been around in the workplace for a while now to change that way and make the people that are coming through like the Gen Zs and stuff that are coming through now. Let's not let them come into the world where they feel that they cannot be incorrect. We should celebrate failure and rejoice in the fact that we've learned something and we've moved forward. If we didn't have that, we would never progress. And for me, I would tell my younger self in particular don't worry about failing, Worry about not failing and learning. Yes, and I think that's so important.

Speaker 2: 21:05

Yeah, it is, and I suppose, with your work now that you're doing and I'll get you to tell us a little bit more about what that work is that you're doing now and where your aims are for that I think that ability to have the freedom, when you are working for yourself, to be able to go into companies and organizations and teams and if you don't highlight the areas where they could be better, they could improve, they could help, they could do this I think that's a that's the gift that keeps on giving. Is it when you're a solopreneur, going into an organization, having been on the other side of it as well, which you have you see it from both sides now, don't you?

Speaker 2: 21:40

and it's that it's such an impactful thing to do, isn't it?

Speaker 3: 21:44

I think it gives you credibility. Yes, as well, when you can go in there and you're not just talking from a textbook, you can give real life examples. And you said you know what. I totally get what you're saying. I've been there and I understand why that's difficult. Have you thought about this? Or have you considered that? I don't like to go in there and tell them? Nobody likes being told what to do as much as we pretend, and I think going in there and asking them those open questions, but just it's like leading the trail of breadcrumbs to the solution, and it's that's part of the sport for me.

Speaker 2: 22:16

I quite enjoy that bit yeah, it's good, isn't it yeah? And I think again, your passion must come through with that, your whole, yeah, your passion for doing what you do. What is it? What if you were to sort of say two things that you love about what you do? Now? What would be those two things?

Speaker 3: 22:33

The creativeness is definitely huge, because I just love being creative and communication are the two main things for me, and the two together are super special. Creative communication Wow, I mean that's just traditional communication. I was talking to someone the other day and it was on the phone to me. As I was talking to them, they sounded out of breath no-transcript. They went I'm just delivering leaflets. I was like delivering leaflets, what are you doing that for? They're like oh, it's to get work. I was like you've got LinkedIn, now you don't need to deliver. Who delivers leaflets? They ways to communicate a message now, with social media and I find it really exciting and challenging to find that that different way of communicating a message that hasn't been used before, because there's so many different ways of using different types of media audio, video, still images, infographics. It's a really exciting space and the creative and the communication together, for me, are super special yeah, that's cool, isn't it?

Speaker 2: 23:38

so tell us what you are focusing on over the next couple of months for you apart from now. You've got a tax return done and don't worry about that now. Job done, tick that box next thing. So, from the creative side, what are you doing now?

Speaker 3: 23:52

so I'm currently building a new website, because the website I had was sort of a standing site that was just there for the podcast and it doesn't really give me the functionality that I want. So I'm doing that myself, and the reason I'm doing it myself is because I want to learn how to do it so that I can then push the boundaries of it and I can really make the most of what I've got. And the key projects I'm working on is I've created my own continuous improvement training, which will go from beginner to advanced level and it's a big. There'll be online self-guided courses that will give the, the learner, a certificate at the end of it. In continuous improvements, we'll have continuous improvement practitioner one, two and three, which will really give people the skills they need in the modern workforce to be able to do the stuff that I've done all through my career and then doing a lot of the keynotes that I've been doing.

Speaker 3: 24:46

I've been going to a lot of schools and a lot of universities and giving talks on employment and on continuous improvement, and that led me down the road that there's an opportunity here. There's a hunger in sort of 11 to 16 year olds for continuous improvement, so I've now got Eversalene Rising Stars oh, that's cool of continuous improvement training, but in a relevant way. That applies to an 11 to 16 year old, and I've managed to get the British Quality Foundation. I'm going to accredit that so that will be fully accredited, which will be amazing. That will be an online course that people can go on and do and then, off the back of both of those different learning modules the adult and the young person we will have workshops that we can go and do.

Speaker 3: 25:41

So I've been doing the 5S workshop for the last few months, which is two hours, and we go into the room and there's like two minutes of slides, that's it, and then everyone breaks off into teams. They have Lego and we get them to build a Lego buggy and they build it over five rounds and each round we introduce a new um, a new part of lean thinking which improves it. And I did it with the scouts the other day two groups of 58 scouts over two groups and um, the I was so impressed with these scouts right, they got this. The second group went from 13 minutes the first time to build the buggy to 26 seconds wow, that's by the fifth round 98.

Speaker 2: 26:25

It was reduction wow time, that's incredible.

Speaker 3: 26:28

This is not me telling them what to do this is them, using the logic that I've been teaching and they built a production line and they all four of them were doing something different in the line in their group and they were assembling this buggy. It was amazing and there's so much potential in these. They built a production line and all four of them were doing something different in the line in their group and they were assembling this buggy. It was amazing and there's so much potential in these young leaders and sometimes I think the teaching methods that we traditionally give them doesn't get that out of them that it could. And these workshops really have been inspiring them and they've been going off and doing stuff.

Speaker 3: 26:56

I did one talk the other week at a school and one of the 16 16 year olds that I spoke to he'd been in 16 foster homes in one year. He had a really rough ride and, um, yeah, we got, we got talking and stuff like that, and then he went off and did a. After the back of my talk he went off and did a podcast. We've never done anything like that before and um, he's been messaging me ever since and and he's now doing, he's found a passion that he loves that he wasn't getting out of his traditional learning, so it just makes it worthwhile. So I think moving into that young minds piece for me and inspiring younger folk because they're more of a blank canvas, has been really exciting.

Speaker 2: 27:34

Yeah, that sounds incredible and I love the fact that, as you said, no-transcript, you're having an impact on it's so cool.

Speaker 3: 28:06

It's a double-edged sword, though, devs, because it it fuels me to to do more, but then the other side of that sword is that I'm frustrated that I can't go fast. Okay, I want to create this stuff and get it out there. I want to spread the word, but it's just so slow because I have to make the website first, and before I can do the website, I've got to do this, I've got to do that, and I haven't got a team around me where I can go right, you do this, you're on that, you're on this. Bang, bang, bang, bang bang.

Speaker 2: 28:33

So that's going to be a stretch for you, isn't it To overcome? That frustration of just having a team in the corporate world where you could just leave them to it, whereas now it's like ah got to think differently, right?

Speaker 3: 28:45

Yeah, it's like when can I fit that in? When can I do this? You just can't do it.

Speaker 2: 28:54

I just, yeah, I set up that calendar, have you seen?

Speaker 3: 28:56

Calendly yes, I have seen.

Speaker 2: 28:57

Calendly yes, I joined the modern world.

Speaker 3: 28:59

The problem is it doesn't account for travel time, so I had people putting meetings in with me when I was traveling, yeah, so that didn't work.

Speaker 2: 29:07

Oh no, that didn't. No, you've got to be really organized, I think, to fit get Calendly to work. Once you've done it, I think it works. But yeah, I fell over on that one as well.

Speaker 2: 29:19

When I first started I thought, oh, that's too much of a process for me, but that's just me, yeah, but hey, other people I know use it exceptionally well, but I need to, as you said, you have to find the time to put all these things in place, that you've got the foundations that can help you and, and you know, so you can be, but it will come. So tell me, matt, where do people reach out, find you? Where can they contact you? Obviously, we'll put your details onto the pod as well, but just share with us where, um where, people can find you so I'm on linkedin.

Speaker 3: 29:46

I'm a serial linkedin enough I love that.

Speaker 2: 29:49

It's a new word I'm all over it.

Speaker 3: 29:52

I love linkedin and I find that's been a great platform for me to share what I'm doing and to make new connections. So, yeah, you can always find me on LinkedIn. I'd love to connect with people on there. And then I've got a rubbish website at wwweversalinecom, but that website will be morphing into a very nice website, hopefully within the next couple of weeks tell them how I can find you as a LinkedIner so I'm just Matt Sims.

Speaker 2: 30:16

M m-a-t-t-s-i-m-s yeah, cool and we put them.

Speaker 3: 30:19

I am on all the other socials, but you get weird and wonderful names and all them because other people take them. So I don't know what mine are on there, but I think I'm matt sims radio and everything else yes, I think you are.

Speaker 2: 30:29

So, yeah, I think you are. So people can find you from there and obviously we'll put your details out as well. But I just want to say, as always, that one piece of if we were to leave somebody listening in with a call to action for them to enable their passion and bring that into whatever it is they're doing so there's that professional stretch as well what, what one call to action would you give to people?

Speaker 3: 30:53

believe in yourself. You can do it, you. The only person stopping you've been able to do that is yourself. And it might be difficult, it might. It might be good days, bad days, hard times, good times, but you can do it. And and if you can't do it, you'll give it a bloody good go exactly and you'll learn, and you'll find another way yeah, exactly, exactly, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 31:13

well, I'm so delighted to catch up with you again, matt, and to see how you are turning your passion into a different career completely, and I just think, credit to you for taking that leap of faith and doing it. And yeah, we'll have to catch up and see how things are progressing in a couple of months for sure, and give an update from you.

Speaker 3: 31:31

Yeah, it's like a counselling session every now and then. We should get it booked in. I can download myself.

Speaker 2: 31:37

And go. No, I am on the right path, I'll keep going. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, oh well, you have a good rest of the day, matt, and thank you for chatting to us today take care so law.

Speaker 1: 31:56

What did you think? First off, I could listen to matt sims all day long. What an easy guy to listen to yeah, really good actually, wasn't it?

Speaker 2: 32:05

it's just simple, just a conversation that we had and obviously we sent some questions, like we always do some prompt questions but we actually went on a complete tangent because of what he'd said and how he was really just passionate, showing his passion for what he wants to do now and he's he has absolutely done that career change. That he's done and, um, yeah, it was really good just to hear what he had to say and his advice and early door lessons of being a solopreneur.

Speaker 1: 32:34

Yeah, what I took in terms of sort of practical takeaways is how the realities behind uncaging your career, as we've called it, and shifting from employee to solopreneur with that, I guess, becomes a newfound energy and freedom. The price of that freedom, though, is you have to be very self-sufficient. So, as he then says, getting that freedom, though, is you have to be very self-sufficient. So, as he then says, getting that network to support you, and also, I think, that perception versus reality, so it can feel like a blocker of I've got to do this and I've got to do that. Actually, many of these things have been made much simpler than might. That, then, might have been quite daunting tasks, maybe uh, you know, in a different sort of time. So things like VAT returns, tax returns Actually, there's a whole business out there of people that will make that as painless as possible.

Speaker 1: 33:19

Yeah definitely, and I loved his bit about, you know, regret minimisation, as I call it. So you get to the end and you're then reviewing back. He would say to himself don't worry about failing, but worry about not failing, therefore not learning. So his bit of believe in yourself I mean all of that kind of sums up with that. But I think by listening to Matt he just sounds so real and we could all imagine ourselves being in that scenario.

Speaker 1: 33:46

So I know you're going to share a call to action in a moment, but my share of the secret would be, if you know someone in either your personal or professional network who is feeling a bit trapped, who you know, a job, maybe that has given them the safety and security, but they're starting to wonder, you know, is there something else that I could then do, get them to listen to this and, from a comfort zone, stretch point of view, not stepping out and then at some point thinking I wish I'd done that. You can always go back into it into a role again. So solopreneurism it's not for the faint-hearted, but it certainly brings with it a lot of energy and a lot of opportunity. So that would be my share the secret someone you know who's feeling a bit caged in, and maybe this gives them a chance to empower themselves and view work a little bit differently yeah, that's such a good.

Speaker 2: 34:36

I love that. Share the secret. So mine's sort of a bit of a build on that, based on what matt has said, which um call to action would be, which he said was about believing in yourself, and, um, I think that's super important. Know that you can, rather than you can't Surround yourself with people that you know are the experts, if you like, if you're heading out into that solopreneur career, I think you can have experts anyway around you, even if you are still in a career. Seek out the experts that will support you, and then, for me, it's about making that plan. It's not setting stone, it's just knowing where you're heading. How are you moving forwards towards something so that you can look back and go oh my God, I've done that or I've done that towards it, which is what he was talking about. So they would be mine. Believe in yourself, get that, find the experts and then also make a plan?

Speaker 1: 35:26

Yes, and my suggestion would be is don't get too hung up on the start date, just starting something. So just as a manager I worked with years ago said and it really stuck with me this the goals are in stone, the timings are in sand. If you know there is this part of you and a chapter that is awaiting at some point in your future where you want to do a bit as a side hustle that becomes your full time or a bit of solopreneur or whatever that means, then it doesn't always have to start on a certain date, and the fact it didn't doesn't mean that it's not right. There just might have been some other things, like you might have some caring responsibilities at the moment and actually you haven't got the headspace to invest in that. But at some point you might get some headspace back and that's where this dream that has maybe been put on hold could then start to get a bit of fresh air to it yeah, I think that's a good catch.

Speaker 2: 36:16

I think that's a really good catch to say you don't, no one's telling you when to do it. It's up to you. When the time's right, I would say, when the time's right, it will happen. And before you know it, you're in it and it's just starting. It's like the snowball rolling down the hill. Right, it'll just get bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. But you've got to start somewhere, you know. But some time is up to you.

Speaker 1: 36:37

Yeah, love it, love it so what we talk about next week. Oh, I can't wait so as as as pretty much everyone has said in this, in anyone that has ever sat in opposite you having that, the podcast chat is around the people around you. So we're going to be looking specifically next week at how do you nourish your network for your career to flourish and, as part of our careers redefined, we've looked at the role that diversity in your jobs gives you options later, how those light bulb moments can sometimes give you some insights as to maybe it's the time now to change things up. Today's has been looking at actually, does it always have to be on a payroll? Are there some other ways in which I can have a career? That is a way that works in my definition.

Speaker 1: 37:21

And then next week's then is all around, okay. What does that mean in terms of nurturing those networks and the relationships? So I'm so looking forward to that conversation. Because careers redefined, it's different how it was in the year 2000,. Deb, what makes a good CV back then compared to now is a bit different. There's all sorts of different ways in which we do it. So who says that you can't have a great career? That might have been on a whole series of conditions that now are no longer so relevant as what they were.

Speaker 2: 37:49

Yeah, love that. Can't't wait and I look forward to catching up again next week law. But in the meantime, have an awesome week and enjoy what you're about to step into.

Speaker 1: 37:57

Oh, thank you debs, let's uncage ourselves let's go. Let's go, love you bye we hope you've enjoyed this podcast. We'd'd love to hear from you. Email us at contact at secretsfromacoachcom, or follow us on Insta or Facebook. If you're a Spotify listener, give us a rating, as it's easier for people to find us, and if you want to know more, visit our website, wwwsecretsfromacoachcom and sign up for our newsletter here to cheer you on and help you thrive in the ever-changing world of work.