Dancing to Success: Ballet Discipline in Entrepreneurship and Leadership with Rachel Withers

Have you ever watched a ballet dancer and marveled at the seamless blend of artistry and discipline? 

Imagine channeling that same grace and strength into the art of entrepreneurship.

That's exactly what our guest, Rachel, has done. Transitioning from the world of professional ballet to the entrepreneurial stage, she now pirouettes as a business strategist and life coach. Throughout the episode, Rachel shares her heartfelt journey, emphasizing the importance of a disciplined mindset and the transformative power of women uplifting each other in business and leadership. Her stories from the ballet world to boardroom will not only move you but also offer a masterclass in resilience and empowerment.

Get ready to be enlightened by a true maven who, alongside greats like Jack Canfield and Brian Tracy, has authored her path to success with the finesse of a well-rehearsed ballet. Rachel provides actionable insights for anyone looking to pen their own bestseller or carve out a niche in the competitive business arena. She insists on the significance of writing from the heart and embracing visualization to propel oneself towards goals. As we wrap up, Rachel's wisdom leaves us grateful and inspired, urging us to connect with her further and experience the unique blend of strategy and soulfulness she brings to the entrepreneurial dance. Join us and let Rachel guide you through an elegant leap from aspiration to achievement.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hello and welcome back to the Overcome Yourself podcast. As you know, my name is Nicole and I am so excited to be here with, like, a ballet dancer, a coach, a public speaker, a best selling author, and that is Rachel. Welcome, rachel. How are you today?

Speaker 2: 0:25

I'm pleased to be here Super excited. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited, thank you.

Speaker 1: 0:32

Oh, thank you for being here. It is amazing, so take it away. Tell us about you, rachel. You have such an amazing journey and you've done so much. I want to hear all about the ballet and how that transferred into a business after you had your kids.

Speaker 2: 0:51

Okay, yeah, well, I'll start with where I am right now and then I'll kind of go back to how I got to where I am Right now. I'm a business strategist. I really work with coaches to really empower them on their mindset and their business, and a lot of it is really due to kind of self-belief and actually setting that prize on the goal and really knowing where they want to be. So I focus on developing their business from the foundations, combined with a real approach to having that entrepreneurial mindset. Now I got on really into this. It's kind of a little bit of a strange story.

Speaker 2: 1:34

I used to be, yes, a ballet dancer. I absolutely, absolutely adored that world, but it was very, very tough. It taught me discipline. It taught me really how to focus on what you wanted to achieve. It taught me how to understand setbacks and how to kind of use them in a way to actually progress further in your career.

Speaker 2: 2:02

I stepped away from the dance world, I got married, I had my beautiful children that are now so much children anymore, but young adults, and what happened was I kind of actually lost myself a little bit in that time because I was really just focused on serving the children, doing family life. And one day, at the school gates, my daughter. She makes a run for it, I get her, she's absolutely safe. But I'm out of breath and I think to myself gosh, I'm really so far away from the days of being that dancer, fit, focused, and I just really lost my identity. So I thought do you know what? I'm going to do something about it. So I started to get back in, in shape myself, using all the dance moves that I'd learned, obviously in my career, and from there I then started to help other women get in shape. That then became a group exercise class. I was super nervous about starting it, and there is when you have to kind of step out of your comfort zone and go. I'm going to do this. From that, I then started to get requests from people I've known in my past ex dancers who are now moms, are working moms doing something completely different from the dance world, and I helped them to set up group exercise classes and their own ballet inspired fitness businesses.

Speaker 2: 3:46

What I realized in that journey at that point that the biggest thing holding these ladies up, including myself, was my mindset. So I really worked on self development and I actually then got myself mentors, because I'm a firm believer that find yourself someone that can get you there a lot quicker. So I got myself a proctor as a mentor and happen city as a mentor. From there I then went into life coaching and then I combined as I developed into really developing women in business through my experience building my own balance by fitness business I actually have a property business now as well and then combining that with the journey that I did on myself discovery myself, development journey and hence that's where I am today, which is really supporting women.

Speaker 2: 4:45

And the reason I do it more than I really focus on women is that I wanted to be an inspiration for my children. I wanted them to have the belief that they could do anything they wanted. They didn't have to follow convention if that's the way they wanted to go, and I wanted to create a legacy that if you believe in your dreams, you can have your dreams. And that's kind of why I've got this feeling that I want to support women, because I think we can then really support future generations and create a legacy. So that's how I got to where I am today.

Speaker 1: 5:27

That's beautiful, and you know what we do need women, supporting women, like we've got to help each other. There is a lot of manly advice out there, and so having leaders such as ourselves who are standing up and leading women and letting women know it's okay, it's okay to want to be big and to be bold and to take those steps and to be a leader and to show your kids, like you said, I mean, that's just the most beautiful thing in the world Like you are living that example. Instead of telling them what to do, you're showing them this is how we do it, and so, oh, I commend you for that. That is beautiful, and I really love how you built a business on something that you already loved, like you were able to take something that you loved, something that you did, something that was very close to you.

Speaker 1: 6:17

I'm sure you spent lots of hours ballet dancers. In addition to everything you mentioned, I thought the pain. You had to learn how to dance through the pain, because when you're learning points that is not a joke, like the bruises, the what's the word? The kiosk, the.

Speaker 2: 6:39

You get the blisters, the blisters.

Speaker 1: 6:41

Yes, it's insane, right. And so that is all mindset. Like I was thinking about the time we went. We went on a bike ride. It was a 15 mile bike ride First time I've ever done anything like that and what I realized was that the most uncomfortable part of it was the mindset, like it was just the boring time that you're just Right, and so it's all comes down to the mindset, because if you get your mindset right, you could be there all day, right, like you could just get into that momentum and go, but you're like, oh my God, I'm bored, there's something to look at, blah, blah, blah. And so making sure that your mindset is focused is just the most important thing. So I would love to know, in this journey, this amazing journey that you're on overcoming yourself that's the name of my podcast, because that's the name of my upcoming book Did you have to overcome yourself as a dancer and as a business owner? How did that play into that journey?

Speaker 2: 7:43

Absolutely, and I think you have to really keep a visualization and I on actually what you want and I on the prize, whatever you want it, what you want to achieve, so that it can drive you forwards towards that I'm. I'm all for, first of all, expressing gratitude for what you have and because that helps you actually feel better about the journey that that you're truly on, because then you start to recognize the small, small achievements that you're making, and it is small achievements that make that great achievement, that actually get you to where you want to be. Just put one foot in front of the other, keep going, but congratulate yourself. I think it's really important to congratulate yourself. Make sure I'm, I believe, set that ultimate goal, set that absolute dream goal that you want to achieve, and then work backwards, break it down and then, each time you do that smaller goal, take it off, pat yourself on the back, and that will really help you to keep motivated and keep going.

Speaker 2: 9:03

For me, I made sure I surrounded myself with people that were supported, that were going to lift me up. I, along the way, I have to say that sometimes people who I thought were kind of my friends, that were going to support me, they're no longer part of my life. I made sure that I supported, that I had those that supported me around, really around to lift me up. And I think another important thing is, as I said, find yourself a mentor, find someone that's been there in the position that you are and knows how to help you get to the next, the next step where you want to be, and really just make sure you have that.

Speaker 2: 9:52

It is about having that gratitude and really thinking I can do this. And a little saying that I have is, if I'm struggling with something, I don't say to myself oh, if I achieve this, this result will happen. I always go how am I going to solve this? How am I going to achieve this? And the minute you change the if to a how, you're instantly in a different mindset. You're instantly looking for a solution, not thinking maybe, maybe I will, maybe I won't. So that's kind of how I focused on overcoming some of the difficulties that we all have in kind of from everyday life to work, to entrepreneurship, whatever it may be.

Speaker 1: 10:44

Yes, like you hit the nail on the head. So the big three sections in my book gratitude, tiny success habits, your small habits that you do every day, right, that get us to the goal. And then adjusting your perspective to see what you thought was your weakness. What you always thought was that weakness I always told I was I talked too much right, but it's actually my strength, right. It just bothered the people and I wasn't talking about the right things, and so I turned that weakness what I already had, and I just learned to look at it differently and now it's my strength because now people pay to hear what I have to say right, absolutely love that, and it is.

Speaker 2: 11:21

It is about perspective as well, and so, very true, I just love that, yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:26

Yes, and so everything you said is is exactly that. That is the framework for overcoming ourselves, because we, when we do these things right, we have to, we have to sit down and say, okay, what do I have like in this moment? I know I want this, but what do I have right now, right here, that I can start working with. So, for example, when you, when you went and ran after your kid and you were like I ran out of breath, this is not okay. So you looked around and you didn't go join a big gym, you didn't go and buy some expensive program, you were like, okay, what do I already know? Let's start from there. I don't, you know, I just have to learn how to reimplement that habit, because working out is a habit, right, it's just something that we've got to learn to incorporate into our daily routine. So I absolutely love how you broke that down into those tiny steps and you were like I'm going to start where I was when, when I was 21.

Speaker 1: 12:20

I found out I had the back of an 80 year old, because I had an accident when I was a little kid and then I've worked in the restaurant industry and so I had just compiled it and made it worse. And when I came home from the doctor I was like I want to start working out. I have to focus now on strengthening right. So I'm not going to try to do, like you know, like American Ninja Warrior, anything, but what can I do right now to make myself stronger? And I found a magazine article about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her personal training coach. She would go to, you know, to the courthouse, to the Supreme Court, and they have like a little gym there and this girl would work out with her. She's like these are the workouts I would do. So I was like if I have the back of an 80 year old, I'm going to start working out like an 80 year old and she can do it, I can do it right.

Speaker 1: 13:10

So that's where I started and I started from that. And now, like I'm able to go paddle boarding and, like you know, I was able to like build a business and I was lifting boxes and I didn't hurt myself, and so, in taking those tiny steps and starting where I was, I overcame myself and I'm able to. You know, I strengthen my back and I'm able to do things and I love how you just turn that around and you just sat down and you're like what do I have? And you started from there and look where it's gotten you like amazing business. You went on into another business. Tell me a little bit now about your books. I want to hear your bestselling author. So we got to know about that I started off.

Speaker 2: 13:51

My first book is how to become a fit printer, and that was all about really setting up your own health and wellness fitness business. That became an Amazon number one bestselling book. Again, I couldn't believe it, it was a massive dream of mine, but if you believe it, you can achieve it. I was fortunate to do that and achieve that. And then I have co-authored with Jack Canfield a book called Success, and that was really about what I am exceptionally passionate about, which is self-belief. It is about being that flower that blooms, being truly who you are and really expressing your own personality.

Speaker 2: 14:47

Because for me, I think you're only truly successful in what you do, when you be who you are.

Speaker 2: 14:54

And as you spoke earlier, you said about your, you thought your weakness was talking too much, but it's an incredible strength. But that's you, that's your personality, that's what you offer, that's what you give, that's how you give value to others and when you utilise that, that's when things truly change. And if we look back in business, for example, probably just under a decade ago, women used to aspire to behave like men in business, to be very male and behaving whatever you want to call it, behaving those manners. But that wasn't being real to themselves. It is only now, and I think women still have a long way to go in business. But I think now success is beginning. We're beginning to see more successful business women, more successful entrepreneurs, when they are actually utilising their skills as a woman, and so there are different thought processes as a woman that they're becoming successful. So that book was all about I've gone off on a tangent, but that book was all about a kind of self-belief.

Speaker 2: 16:13

It was such an honour to co-author with Jack Canfield. I've recently released another Amazon bestseller and that was really. That was called Don't Wait in the Wings and that was also with. It was with, I think it was, 13 other female entrepreneurs and it was very much about step out on that centre stage, do it, take action, don't think, don't let life pass you by, don't go, I'll do it tomorrow. My turn will come tomorrow. It's about, if you've got a passion for something, take action, step out onto centre stage, because you really don't know where that is going to take you and it can take you to some amazing places. So Don't Wait in the Wings that, as I say, became a bestseller and I just worked with Brian Tracy as well on co-authoring with the book with him.

Speaker 1: 17:22

It's amazing.

Speaker 2: 17:23

Everything is you know, I love. I love books. I absolutely adore books. I love podcasts, don't get me wrong. I love podcasts, I love them. But sometimes it's so nice to have a book, take yourself away and just digest the information that you've been given. And I think that that can be a really good part of your self-development routine as well, to really get a good book, read 20 minutes, digest what you need and use that part of your self-development routine. So, yay, I'm just super excited with it.

Speaker 1: 18:06

Yeah, that's amazing. Yes, I love books too. One of the things that I talk about in my book is that is one way that you can spend time with your mentors. Like, if you have a mentor that charges like 25 grand for a program right, you're about 25 grand to invest in them. Start investing in the small things. You can go to Goodwill and buy a bunch of great books or any thrift store. You know don't get me started on the rise in prices and thrift stores, but you can go to thrift stores and buy books and they're very much less expensive. And that's a way that you can spend time investing yourself and spend time with your mentors and learn from them and implement the things that they teach so that you can get those 25 grand or 100 grand or whatever it is that and then you can get in the room as well, right, I love. Another thing that you mentioned that made me think of my book is we're talking about, like that adversity that happens, yeah, and then we get to decide.

Speaker 1: 19:10

And one of the things I mentioned in my book I go into talking about, you know, the superpower in our weakness, and I mentioned that is one of the big differences between a superhero and a supervillain when we think about those movies. Right, both of them had an adversarial situation. Something bad happened to them. None of the superheroes that we know had a great upbringing. You know. A lot of them lost a parent. Bad things happen to them and the difference was their perspective, right, and then they chose which road are we going to take this? Am I going to be the victim or am I going to empower this? You know so this doesn't happen again, whatever. So it's so important, that perspective, because bad things will happen and we have to decide which road we're going to take.

Speaker 2: 19:52

And I think, yeah, choice and decision there's obviously you've mentioned perspective but you have a choice in how you handle a situation. You have that choice. That's the only part that you can control. You can't control the situation, but you have a choice as to how you handle that situation. And I think, as you mentioned, having that choice is so important and it is important to think about that so that you don't have that victim mentality. You have a mentality of making a positive choice in how you handle the situation and then, obviously, this decision to take action with that choice, yeah, and it all comes from the mindset right, because that's where we have to practice gratitude.

Speaker 1: 20:43

Well, things are going well and I was like, well, I don't need this right now. Well, that's where you are working on things. Right, because if I start working out like I started working out right, but like I was going to go somewhere, but then another 10.

Speaker 1: 21:05

Anyway, all right. So let's get back because, yeah, like I said, we're almost out of time. All right. So, rachel, I wanted you to tell me, do you have? I actually just hosted a summit for authors and, as a bestselling author, I wanted to know do you have any top tips for authors who would like to become bestselling authors?

Speaker 2: 21:26

I really believe right from the heart, right, what you're talking about from your own, and this is more for obviously non-fiction. So it is completely right from the, even with fiction, I suppose you're right from the heart, but right about what you're passionate about. So really think about what your experiences and how, from your experiences, can you use that to guide the reader into really getting something from and taking something away from what you've written? And for me, I think if you write from the heart, you can't really go wrong.

Speaker 1: 22:18

I love that. I love that, so so much. Thank you Now overall, because I was just specifically for authors thinking about how you've overcome yourself, built your business, what is one of the top tips that you give entrepreneurs when you're helping them with their mindset? Before I ask you how we can stay in touch with you, visualization.

Speaker 2: 22:43

For me it is about I think I get everybody that works with me to write what I call is a life script, and that life script is about how you want to be in the future, how you want your life to be in business, in relationships, in family life, in material things, what you want everything. So that you write that down, you then read it to yourself, record it, you can make a little video with it if you want, and I ask them to listen to that or watch it every single day, because when you do that, the subconscious mind will begin to believe it is real, and when that happens, that's when you will start to take action. So that's the biggest thing that I work with my clients with at first is we write a life script that's based on where they want to be, what truly in every aspect of their life.

Speaker 1: 23:53

That is amazing and it's so powerful, because it's one thing to be like go on YouTube and watch this meditation and it's another thing to craft out that vision, to really think about it, to write it out, because there's so much magic when we write things out by hand and then reading it out and hearing it in our own voice. That is so, so, mega powerful. Like, if you're listening to this right now, stop what you're doing and go write a life script. That is so, so powerful. Rachel, oh my gosh, thank you so, so much. And like I want to mention millionaires, wealth minded people. They actively spend time doing visualization. Okay, so this is not some woo woo thing. This is something that you're doing to help your mind. This is about perception, like the red car syndrome, right? Well, because when you're subconscious is focused on something, you're going to notice more of it, and so these are things that you're doing to kind of prep your brain to help you see those opportunities. Oh my God, there's so much Amazing.

Speaker 1: 24:57

So, rachel, how can we stay in touch with you? Are you on social media, karen? Yeah, your website. Talk to me.

Speaker 2: 25:04

Yeah, so you can reach me on social media. I'm strong on Facebook. Rachel with his HQ. Just DM me respond. You can check out my website. Rachel with his HQ dot co dot, uk. Those are the best ways to reach out and get in touch.

Speaker 1: 25:23

That sounds amazing. Do you have a free gift available for listeners?

Speaker 2: 25:27

Yes, if the listeners want, they just reach out to me and I will send them really how to set the foundations up to having a really successful business. And I'd be more than happy for your listeners to pop on a call and I can do a diagnostic of where they are right now and how we can get them to where they want to be.

Speaker 1: 25:49

No, that is amazing, rachel, wow, thank you, thank you, thank you. All of those links. Everything that she mentioned is going to be down in the show notes or down below, wherever it is that you're watching this. So make sure you go and check that out. Amazing resources from Rachel. And if you'd want to work with her, go check out that website, get in touch with her, do your consultation and see the amazing goodness that Rachel can bring to you. So thank you so much for being here with us today, rachel. This has been so, so, so amazing. You are just like a fountain of knowledge. I absolutely love it. I cannot wait to get my hands on your books so I can spend time with you as one of my mentors.

Speaker 2: 26:30

Thank you so much for having me. It's been an absolute pleasure, thank you.

Speaker 1: 26:34

Thank you so much and we will see you guys next time here on the Overcome Yourself podcast. Thanks, bye.