Confidence isn't loud, here's how to find your voice | Nimi Mehta
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging podcast episode, host Erica interviews Nimi Meta, a dynamic media professional and CEO of Speaker by Nimi Meta. They discuss Nimi's journey from her early career as an MTV presenter to her current role as a public speaking mentor. Nimi shares valuable insights on the importance of finding one's voice amidst external influences, the challenges she faced after her initial success, and the lessons learned about resilience and self-awareness. The conversation highlights the balance between being nice and assertive, the significance of celebrating personal wins, and the power of visualization in achieving goals. Nimi introduces her 'Voice Layer Theory,' encouraging listeners to reflect on their identities and the voices that shape them. The episode concludes with a reminder that emotional lows are part of the journey and serve as opportunities for growth and reflection.
Takeaways
- π€ Nimi Meta is a multifaceted media professional and public speaking mentor.
- π The 'Voice Layer Theory' helps individuals identify their true voice.
- π Nimi's journey includes overcoming unemployment and exploring various media roles.
- πͺ Being assertive doesn't mean being mean; it's about clear communication.
- π Celebrating personal wins builds confidence and self-assurance.
- π§ββοΈ Emotional resilience involves sitting with feelings and recognizing their temporary nature.
- π Self-awareness is key to understanding motivations and influences.
- π Visualization is a powerful tool for manifesting goals.
- π€ Relationships and the voices around us significantly impact our identity.
- π‘ It's important to question external influences on our beliefs and choices.
Timeline
- 00:00:00 - 00:05:00
The host expresses excitement about having Nimi Meta on the show, highlighting their similar thought processes and the synergy expected in their conversation. Nimi is introduced as a multifaceted professional, including CEO, presenter, and mentor.
- 00:05:00 - 00:10:00
Nimi shares her journey from studying journalism to landing her dream job as an MTV presenter at 21. She reflects on the initial excitement and the subsequent realization that achieving a goal is just a stepping stone in a constantly evolving journey.
- 00:10:00 - 00:15:00
After her contract with MTV ended, Nimi faced unemployment for a few years. She emphasizes the importance of persistence and exploring various roles in the media industry to find her true passion, which ultimately led her to radio and other opportunities.
- 00:15:00 - 00:20:00
Nimi discusses the power of visualization and manifestation, recounting how she envisioned herself as part of the Channel 4 presenter lineup, which eventually came true. She highlights the importance of believing in oneself and the journey of self-discovery.
- 00:20:00 - 00:25:00
The conversation shifts to the transition from a stable career to entrepreneurship. Nimi emphasizes the importance of weighing fears and choosing the discomfort of growth over the comfort of stagnation, encouraging listeners to take risks for personal development.
- 00:25:00 - 00:30:00
Nimi shares her experience of learning to be assertive rather than overly nice, especially as a woman in the media industry. She reflects on the balance between kindness and assertiveness, advocating for clear communication of boundaries.
- 00:30:00 - 00:35:00
The discussion touches on the importance of self-awareness and recognizing the influence of external voices on one's own. Nimi introduces her 'Voice Layer Theory,' which emphasizes the need to isolate and evaluate one's true voice amidst external influences.
- 00:35:00 - 00:40:00
Nimi shares her personal practices for self-reflection, including creating a 'My Wins' photo album to celebrate achievements, big or small. This practice helps build confidence and encourages a positive mindset.
- 00:40:00 - 00:45:00
The conversation explores the concept of emotional awareness, with both Nimi and the host discussing the importance of feeling emotions and allowing oneself to experience lows as part of the journey to personal growth.
- 00:45:00 - 00:50:53
The episode concludes with a reflection on the importance of balance in life, recognizing that both highs and lows serve a purpose in shaping one's journey. Nimi expresses gratitude for the conversation and looks forward to future endeavors.
Mind Map
Video Q&A
Who is Nimi Meta?
Nimi Meta is the CEO of Speaker by Nimi Meta, a TV and radio presenter, MC, podcast host, and public speaking mentor.
What is the 'Voice Layer Theory'?
The 'Voice Layer Theory' is a framework developed by Nimi to help individuals identify their true voice by isolating it from external influences.
How did Nimi start her career in media?
Nimi began her career as an MTV presenter after winning an online competition shortly after graduating with a degree in journalism.
What challenges did Nimi face after her initial success?
After her contract with MTV ended, Nimi faced unemployment for a few years, which led her to explore various roles in the media industry.
What advice does Nimi give about being assertive?
Nimi emphasizes the importance of being clear and concise in communication while maintaining kindness, rather than equating assertiveness with being mean.
How does Nimi suggest people find their voice?
Nimi suggests isolating oneself from external influences and evaluating the voices around you to identify what truly resonates with you.
What is the significance of celebrating personal wins?
Celebrating personal wins helps build confidence and self-assurance, reminding individuals of their achievements and progress.
How does Nimi view emotional resilience?
Nimi believes in sitting with emotions, allowing oneself to feel them, and recognizing that lows are temporary and serve a purpose in personal growth.
What is the importance of self-awareness in personal development?
Self-awareness allows individuals to understand their motivations, influences, and the impact of their choices on their lives.
What role does visualization play in Nimi's journey?
Nimi credits visualization as a key factor in achieving her goals, helping her to manifest her aspirations into reality.
View more video summaries
Down The House
Inside Rioβs favelas, the city's neglected neighborhoods
What does 'The Social Construction of Reality' Mean? - by Dr. Dennis Hiebert
How I FINALLY Got Abs: EVERYTHING You Need To Know
Urutan Nonton Seri Dragon Ball Sampai Daima #animereview #dragonball #animeindo
The Cold War Explained In 15 Minutes | Best Cold War Documentary
- 00:00:00all right balances today's guest is
- 00:00:01someone I'm really excited to have on
- 00:00:03the show because you know when you just
- 00:00:05come across those profiles on Instagram
- 00:00:08and you're just magnetically drawn to
- 00:00:10someone and I'm talking like from the
- 00:00:12point of view where I feel like we
- 00:00:14almost have similar neural Pathways in
- 00:00:16our brain we think about things in a
- 00:00:18very similar way so I think this is
- 00:00:20going to be a very synergistic easy
- 00:00:22conversation so I'm really excited to
- 00:00:23have you on today um our guest is the
- 00:00:26CEO of speaker by nimi meta she's a TV
- 00:00:30and radio presenter an MC a podcast host
- 00:00:32a speaker a public speaking Mentor what
- 00:00:35don't you
- 00:00:36do it's uh the the beautiful nimi meta
- 00:00:40on the podcast today welcome to the show
- 00:00:42thank you so much for having me I'm so
- 00:00:43excited to be here and to to synergize
- 00:00:46with you oh I love it no we're going to
- 00:00:48there's going to be a lot of
- 00:00:50synergizing I think um one of the first
- 00:00:53things that I was really interested in
- 00:00:55was your journey from and I think this
- 00:00:57is something a lot of people resonate
- 00:00:59with that feeling of completing your
- 00:01:01degree so you studied journalism and
- 00:01:03getting your first job which you have
- 00:01:05described as being your dream job at the
- 00:01:08time and just that first year experience
- 00:01:11and what happened directly after cuz I
- 00:01:12think that's important context to
- 00:01:14understand kind of where you've come to
- 00:01:15now yeah yeah that's a great first
- 00:01:18question so I mean just to set the scene
- 00:01:21I guess for for people did journalism at
- 00:01:24University came straight out at the age
- 00:01:26of 21 and got the job to be an MTV
- 00:01:28presenter
- 00:01:30and that for me just felt so normal at
- 00:01:33the time when something like that
- 00:01:34happens to you you think that life is
- 00:01:35that easy especially at such a young age
- 00:01:37you know you come out thinking wow it's
- 00:01:39really going to be doggy dog and then
- 00:01:41this happens and it was amazing so you
- 00:01:43just applied and got the job just
- 00:01:44applied it was like an online
- 00:01:46competition um you had to submit a video
- 00:01:48re and so I booked out my local Church's
- 00:01:51Hall and I grabbed all my family and
- 00:01:54friends and I said I need you to be
- 00:01:55extras and we were in the dressing room
- 00:01:58and I was walking through present
- 00:02:00pretending it's fashion week and I had
- 00:02:02like my sister getting her hair done by
- 00:02:04her friend and you know people throwing
- 00:02:06clothes around I love the it's still on
- 00:02:08YouTube to this day just because it's so
- 00:02:10iconic for me I'm like I really produced
- 00:02:12directed and presented in that that's
- 00:02:14amazing and so that is what got me the
- 00:02:17gig but it was just what followed after
- 00:02:21you know and and I think that we all
- 00:02:23have these dreams and these goal posts
- 00:02:25so to say and I really thought at that
- 00:02:28age that you have one goal post you get
- 00:02:31to that goalpost and then it's over
- 00:02:33life's done life's done like sign seal
- 00:02:35delivered like it's over um in a really
- 00:02:38good way that oh I'm it's going to be
- 00:02:39plain sailing after this obviously it
- 00:02:42wasn't and um it was it was a real hit
- 00:02:45to the ego it was a real hit to you know
- 00:02:48my mindset of like Oh what now you know
- 00:02:51where do I go now and I just wasn't
- 00:02:53prepared for what was after and so I
- 00:02:55think that's when I realized and it
- 00:02:57really hit me that my dreams are ever
- 00:02:59evolving and Ever Changing and sometimes
- 00:03:02when you think something is your dream
- 00:03:04it's not it's just a stepping stone
- 00:03:07towards the bigger picture yeah there's
- 00:03:09always um a bigger piece at play I think
- 00:03:12we've forgotten one key detail though so
- 00:03:13you got the job at MTV and then what
- 00:03:15happened yeah that shattered your ego
- 00:03:17yeah yeah well I was there for a year
- 00:03:19and I had a contract for the year and
- 00:03:21then the contract ended and I was
- 00:03:22unemployed for a few years after that
- 00:03:25trying to hustle back in to be a
- 00:03:27presenter so so they just didn't renew
- 00:03:29it yeah they didn't renew it the channel
- 00:03:30that they basically created was
- 00:03:32something called like District MTV so
- 00:03:33they were trying a new concept of music
- 00:03:35and fashion together and it just wasn't
- 00:03:38picking up so they they ended it all and
- 00:03:40that was me that was me done well you
- 00:03:43know what's really interesting what a
- 00:03:44beautiful lesson to learn at such a
- 00:03:46young age that your dreams are ever
- 00:03:48evolving and that goals are not I like
- 00:03:52talking about it in the frame of goals
- 00:03:53are not end posts they're are goal posts
- 00:03:56no what do I I can't remember even how I
- 00:03:58talk about it now but it's kind of like
- 00:04:00they're just markers along your journey
- 00:04:01so you're running a marathon right it's
- 00:04:03not the Finish Line it's just like oh
- 00:04:05you've reached this part of the process
- 00:04:07and the reason I think this is so
- 00:04:09important to really Embrace is because
- 00:04:12it helps you enjoy the process which is
- 00:04:13something I really struggle with that
- 00:04:15patience peace when not much is
- 00:04:17happening or things are happening but
- 00:04:19they're happening in a different way to
- 00:04:20what you think you actually zoom out and
- 00:04:22you remember you're just in that middle
- 00:04:24part of between those checkpoints and
- 00:04:27when you really zoom out all the way you
- 00:04:29realize that's actually what life is
- 00:04:31it's not about you know I had a similar
- 00:04:33experience where I thought that
- 00:04:35achieving this goal getting this job or
- 00:04:37you know reaching this point was going
- 00:04:38to feel a certain way and yeah okay it
- 00:04:41felt great but then it was over and it
- 00:04:42was like okay now what's the next part
- 00:04:45of life so I think it's good to have had
- 00:04:47that reframe at such a young age where
- 00:04:49you're like okay my goals are actually
- 00:04:51just markers of what's next yeah and and
- 00:04:54the thing is no one teaches us this you
- 00:04:56know life does yeah life does and these
- 00:04:59experien is teach you and obviously
- 00:05:00we're in a wonderful position now where
- 00:05:02we can look back and in hindsight be
- 00:05:04like oh thank God it really taught me a
- 00:05:06lot for some people I know it can go the
- 00:05:08other way I just think that you know as
- 00:05:11we take on these experiences I think we
- 00:05:14need to know that we are never ever the
- 00:05:16finished product and I think that's what
- 00:05:17I was always chasing as a as a young
- 00:05:19individual who wanted to be a TV
- 00:05:21presenter I want to be jam Jam or I want
- 00:05:23to be deina MCO on the TV and that was
- 00:05:26what I had my eyes set on and I was like
- 00:05:29they had their own journey I didn't
- 00:05:31recognize that at the time I thought oh
- 00:05:33overnight they were successes but I
- 00:05:35think that it it just built my character
- 00:05:37a lot more yeah absolutely so you were
- 00:05:39saying you were unemployed for a few
- 00:05:40years and then what was the next thing
- 00:05:42and how did you work out how to get to
- 00:05:45that place after kind of being a little
- 00:05:47disappointed in that initial dream yeah
- 00:05:50I I really believe in the power of
- 00:05:53proximity so for me even though I was
- 00:05:58let go at MTV
- 00:06:00they under this group called Viacom and
- 00:06:02within Viacom they have like Brands like
- 00:06:04Nickelodeon and stuff like that and I
- 00:06:07thought you know what I'm going to try
- 00:06:08and get a job at any of these companies
- 00:06:10as long as I'm in the building as long
- 00:06:13as I'm in the building someone will
- 00:06:15remember me or I will hear Whispers of
- 00:06:17like a new job opening up you know and
- 00:06:19and so I thought as long as I'm there I
- 00:06:21I'll be their next choice and so I
- 00:06:24applied for a job at Nickelodeon which
- 00:06:26was an advert scheduler just sitting day
- 00:06:30just scheduling adverts it was so
- 00:06:32monotonous but I just thought I'm there
- 00:06:35and nothing came of it I would love to
- 00:06:37sit here and tell you like oh my God
- 00:06:38yeah and then something happened it
- 00:06:39didn't but the reason I'm sharing this
- 00:06:41with you is because I never lost sight I
- 00:06:45never gave up hope and so then for me it
- 00:06:48was also the process of elimination I
- 00:06:50sat with myself and I was like okay you
- 00:06:51want to become a TV presenter cool what
- 00:06:54about everything else within the media
- 00:06:56industry let's learn every single role
- 00:06:59possible possible let's experience it
- 00:07:01and then let's actually find out if you
- 00:07:03do want to be a TV presenter cuz you
- 00:07:04might get behind the camera and think
- 00:07:06wow I actually love being a producer or
- 00:07:08a director okay that now my goals
- 00:07:10changed to that and you know I tried
- 00:07:13everything from editorial my local
- 00:07:15newspaper to Hello magazine to an
- 00:07:18internship with ITV you know behind one
- 00:07:21of the biggest breakfast shows in the
- 00:07:22country I was hustling I was so
- 00:07:25persistent with every work experience
- 00:07:28job I mean I got an email and back then
- 00:07:30you know there was no such thing as uh
- 00:07:32you know just clicking a button and
- 00:07:34being connected to someone on LinkedIn
- 00:07:35or you know following them on Instagram
- 00:07:37and dming them it was literally showing
- 00:07:39up at the door so even if you sent an
- 00:07:41email there was no recognition of it I
- 00:07:43was showing up the door with physical
- 00:07:45paper CVS yeah for anyone young
- 00:07:48listening we really did do that and I
- 00:07:50would show up doing that and I remember
- 00:07:52I got one of my internships because a
- 00:07:54guy who was a producer a local TV show
- 00:07:59just wasn't responding to me on my
- 00:08:00emails and I just kept going like I was
- 00:08:03like once a month I had set like dates
- 00:08:05on my calendar to keep sending him an
- 00:08:08email like hey just let you know I'm
- 00:08:09here and if anything comes up let me
- 00:08:11know like I wasn't pushy at all but one
- 00:08:14month came up and he goes you are so
- 00:08:18persistent like you will not give up but
- 00:08:20lucky for you something's just come up
- 00:08:22and this was like 6 to8 months after I'd
- 00:08:24first connected with him and so my point
- 00:08:26being that if you set your eyes on
- 00:08:28something just keep going like the worst
- 00:08:31that can happen is they say no okay well
- 00:08:33you can't miss something you never had
- 00:08:34but if you keep going something might
- 00:08:36come out of it so it was that it was me
- 00:08:39trying absolutely everything under the
- 00:08:41sun until I realized you know what TV
- 00:08:43presenting is what I want to do and I
- 00:08:45went into radio then CU there was there
- 00:08:47was such a lack of opportunity in TV in
- 00:08:50the UK and so I wanted to expand my
- 00:08:52skill set went into radio at a local
- 00:08:54radio station and um did that for like
- 00:08:57five months I was shocking inly bad it
- 00:09:00was oh it was hideous Hest I'm going to
- 00:09:02play you a clip from it but it was just
- 00:09:04like my voice was different I you could
- 00:09:06tell I'm like super rushed and super
- 00:09:08anxious and I didn't really know what I
- 00:09:10was doing it was going out to like a
- 00:09:12thousand people in my local town and
- 00:09:14then 5 months later I moved to Radio 1
- 00:09:17abudhabi to host a national breakfast
- 00:09:19show so that was that was a crazy
- 00:09:23Journey for me from going from like a
- 00:09:24thousand people to a whole nation yeah
- 00:09:26wow and you actually never know like I
- 00:09:29always say every networking thing you do
- 00:09:32every job every relationship like I feel
- 00:09:35like we get so stuck in like oh that was
- 00:09:37such a waste of time but honestly every
- 00:09:39little thing has its role and leads you
- 00:09:41to exactly where you're meant to be
- 00:09:43right so even if that F Monon radio job
- 00:09:45was like oh whatever it serve me nothing
- 00:09:47maybe you wouldn't have gotten attention
- 00:09:48for the Abu dhab role if you hadn't had
- 00:09:50that on your resume so you just never
- 00:09:52know how all these things kind of play
- 00:09:54together um before I ask you the next
- 00:09:56question I'll just share one thing that
- 00:09:58really helped me be continue to be
- 00:10:00persistent because it's the same thing
- 00:10:02with you know if you're trying to get
- 00:10:03certain people on the podcast or you're
- 00:10:05trying to pit yourself for certain
- 00:10:06things you're going to get a lot of
- 00:10:07rejection like don't sit here thinking
- 00:10:09just because you see XYZ person on the
- 00:10:11show I don't experience rejection like
- 00:10:13it happens to everyone and for anyone to
- 00:10:15get anywhere you have to go through the
- 00:10:17hurdles of rejection that's life but a
- 00:10:19really beautiful reframe for me was
- 00:10:21imagine you knew you had 50 NOS before
- 00:10:24you got a yes you'd be going as fast as
- 00:10:26you could to get through and CH through
- 00:10:28all those and just so you could hurry up
- 00:10:30and get to the yes so seeing every
- 00:10:32rejection or setback is just that's one
- 00:10:34less one before my yes or before my
- 00:10:36opportunity has been like a really great
- 00:10:38reframe for me to just keep going right
- 00:10:40and not take it personally because half
- 00:10:42the time it's not personal at all all
- 00:10:44you know what I mean yeah so then you've
- 00:10:47you've gone into this Abu Dhabi role and
- 00:10:49now you're kind of in this
- 00:10:51entrepreneurial freelancing doing a bit
- 00:10:53of everything so this transition into
- 00:10:56being I guess career focused to
- 00:10:59entrepreneurial if I can call it that
- 00:11:01Focus what have been the biggest things
- 00:11:03you've learned in that transition yeah
- 00:11:05wow so I did radio on abudhabi for a
- 00:11:07year until Channel 4 poached me over to
- 00:11:09Dubai so then I was at Channel 4 hosting
- 00:11:11the breakfast show for 5 years and that
- 00:11:13was a grind that was like 4 a.m wakeups
- 00:11:16that was it was a lifestyle Choice it
- 00:11:18really was um doing a show from 6: to 10
- 00:11:20I did that solidly for 5 years we we
- 00:11:22were named the number one show in the
- 00:11:24country you know and I absolutely loved
- 00:11:26it and adored it and you know years I
- 00:11:29was unemployed that I was telling you
- 00:11:31back in the
- 00:11:32UK um the power of visualization and
- 00:11:35manifestation is real like I know we we
- 00:11:39hear it and we see it and we consume so
- 00:11:41much stuff that just sounds so fuzzy
- 00:11:44that's like yeah visualization
- 00:11:45manifestation I cannot stress it enough
- 00:11:48it is one of the key things that got me
- 00:11:49to where I am today I agree so I
- 00:11:52remember sitting there in my bed whilst
- 00:11:53I was crying cuz I was unemployed and
- 00:11:56miserable tissues in toe yeah exactly
- 00:11:58and I and I came to Dubai on and off
- 00:12:00growing up anyway and I was like you
- 00:12:02know what let's just see what's out
- 00:12:03there and I was on channel 4 dubai.com
- 00:12:06and I saw like the presenter lineup and
- 00:12:09all these faces and I remember like I
- 00:12:12kid you not Erica I was sitting there
- 00:12:13for like an hour just staring at that
- 00:12:16lineup staring and just visualizing
- 00:12:18myself in that lineup and I kept saying
- 00:12:20you're going to be there you're going to
- 00:12:22be there you're going to be there and I
- 00:12:24mean it didn't happen overnight I would
- 00:12:26love to say that but it happened
- 00:12:27literally a few years later
- 00:12:29where I was then hosting the breakfast
- 00:12:32show of that lineup and so this kind of
- 00:12:35power of believing really changed the
- 00:12:38game for me but that was a solid job
- 00:12:41that was my dream job that I've been
- 00:12:42working all these years to be you know
- 00:12:44at the top of the game the you know for
- 00:12:47me as well a female in radio females
- 00:12:50were generally considered kind of like
- 00:12:52giggle girls in radio the guy was the
- 00:12:54main guy and the girl would just kind of
- 00:12:56laugh at whatever the guy says that is
- 00:12:58just a classic Radio set up I was really
- 00:13:00lucky cuz my co-host and me had a 50/50
- 00:13:03share you know we were very much like
- 00:13:05equal voices but I love the show and um
- 00:13:09it just got to a point where I was like
- 00:13:11it is time for a change and you feel it
- 00:13:13you feel it in your bones like you know
- 00:13:16it and so I know and I and from my
- 00:13:19community I have a lot of people who
- 00:13:20talk to me about how did you take the
- 00:13:22leap like how did you make that change
- 00:13:24how did you believe in yourself and it
- 00:13:26came down to one thing and that was
- 00:13:28which fear do I choose so there were two
- 00:13:31fears the first was oh my gosh but if I
- 00:13:34leave I have a solid salary here so
- 00:13:37financially I was covered it was my
- 00:13:39comfort zone I knew it day in day out I
- 00:13:42had a routine with it the third was you
- 00:13:44know this was your dream are you going
- 00:13:46to let go of your dream I was holding on
- 00:13:49to that fear of but the unknown what's
- 00:13:51going to happen next and then that was
- 00:13:54one side of the fear the second side of
- 00:13:56the fear was okay but are you still
- 00:13:59going to be here in five years time are
- 00:14:02you still going to feel undervalued in
- 00:14:05five years time are you still going to
- 00:14:07be saying to yourself oh nimi why are
- 00:14:09you here are you still going to be
- 00:14:11getting out of bed every morning feeling
- 00:14:12like it's more of a chore than a spring
- 00:14:15in your step and that fear outweighed
- 00:14:19the fear before I was so scared of
- 00:14:22staying stagnant that any fear I felt
- 00:14:26about leaving and taking the leap was
- 00:14:29just irrelevant to me cuz I was like I
- 00:14:31would rather look back and say I'm so
- 00:14:34proud you tried than oh I'm so proud you
- 00:14:37stayed and stayed in your little Comfort
- 00:14:39box and you know shied away from your
- 00:14:42potential so if anyone is feeling like
- 00:14:46they're in that kind of period and and
- 00:14:47scared to kind of take the next step I
- 00:14:50would say weigh out your fear which one
- 00:14:53scares you more because for me it was
- 00:14:55definitely the latter that is such a
- 00:14:57powerful question and in a very similar
- 00:14:59vein a question you could also ask is um
- 00:15:02which discomfort do you want to choose
- 00:15:03it's it's very similar question because
- 00:15:05the reality is it's uncomfortable not
- 00:15:08pursuing things that you dream about or
- 00:15:10things that you wish you wanted to do
- 00:15:12and it's also uncomfortable pursuing
- 00:15:14them because you're you know dealing
- 00:15:16with potentially not feeling like you're
- 00:15:18worthy to do it and self-doubt and the
- 00:15:21uncertainty and all of that but then the
- 00:15:23flip of that is actually just not doing
- 00:15:25it at all never trying never knowing and
- 00:15:27being stuck in something that maybe is
- 00:15:29not setting your heart on fire so yeah I
- 00:15:31think just being really honest with
- 00:15:33yourself like it's I feel like this is
- 00:15:35one of those things where if you get
- 00:15:37that feeling like you described it in
- 00:15:39your bones I know that feeling it's
- 00:15:41happened you know iconic moments in my
- 00:15:43life where in that moment you have the I
- 00:15:46think it's like twofold you have that
- 00:15:48feeling and you acknowledge what's going
- 00:15:50on and then it's the action piece and
- 00:15:52that's obviously the hardest part but
- 00:15:54but getting raw with yourself I think is
- 00:15:56the most actionable thing you can do
- 00:15:58because it helps you what you're like at
- 00:16:00a fork in a road and it's like okay
- 00:16:02which one which one do I want to go for
- 00:16:04so I think that's really good advice for
- 00:16:05anybody listening um and really you can
- 00:16:08apply that to any juncture or Crossroad
- 00:16:11in your life with anything relationships
- 00:16:14decisions with your health like you know
- 00:16:15what I mean like pick your fear or pick
- 00:16:17your discomfort 100% And I would say
- 00:16:20that your body tells you exactly what
- 00:16:22you want and this is something that I've
- 00:16:24kind of learned to listen to We we talk
- 00:16:27about listening to our mind and our
- 00:16:28heart all the time but our body is so
- 00:16:31aligned with us in the sense that if I
- 00:16:34feel something in my bones that term
- 00:16:37exists for a reason right because you
- 00:16:38feel it in your core in your gut I I
- 00:16:41have a 5-sec rule where I'm like okay as
- 00:16:44soon as I feel something I hold on to
- 00:16:46that because in 5 seconds my mind's
- 00:16:48going to start convincing me of
- 00:16:49otherwise my mind's going to start
- 00:16:51convincing me no no no don't leave don't
- 00:16:54leave because what about money what
- 00:16:55about this what about stability what
- 00:16:57about you know but you want to be able
- 00:16:59to afford you know a house next year how
- 00:17:00are you going to be able to do that you
- 00:17:01know all these little Elements of Life
- 00:17:03that come through the extras that really
- 00:17:06don't contribute to your core your mind
- 00:17:09convinces you otherwise of what your
- 00:17:10body tells you so I set a 5-second rule
- 00:17:13as soon as I have thought and felt
- 00:17:15something I instantly am aware that my
- 00:17:17mind's going to kick in any second and I
- 00:17:19need to like hold that piece I need to
- 00:17:22hold that core gut gut feeling I'm
- 00:17:25getting I need to hold on to that and I
- 00:17:27would say that a lot of us avoid it a
- 00:17:30lot a lot of us ignore it because it's
- 00:17:31probably the easiest thing to do and so
- 00:17:35that kind of discipline has really
- 00:17:37changed the game for me in decision
- 00:17:39making and taking these kind of leaps
- 00:17:41yeah that's amazing and um often I think
- 00:17:44the reason I mean the brain is the
- 00:17:46rational part of the body we we owe a
- 00:17:48lot to it for keeping us alive but it
- 00:17:51does try and give meaning to everything
- 00:17:53when sometimes it stands on its own
- 00:17:55enough as it is and I think the reason
- 00:17:58that that is so good like I love that
- 00:18:00just sitting with the thought for five
- 00:18:02seconds and just noticing what that
- 00:18:04kneejerk reaction is yeah because that
- 00:18:06often is a little bit uncomfortable
- 00:18:08because it's prompting change right but
- 00:18:10if you actually just that's a really
- 00:18:12good actionable thing people can take
- 00:18:13and and maybe practice that's a good way
- 00:18:16to start listening to that inner voice
- 00:18:18that you know when we talk about
- 00:18:19following your Intuition or being more
- 00:18:21intuitive I think it comes down to small
- 00:18:23things like this my um fiance he used to
- 00:18:25be a chiropractor and um I mean he's had
- 00:18:28a career shift which is totally random
- 00:18:30but in his times being a chiropractor we
- 00:18:33used to talk about how the body's
- 00:18:35language was pain and I find this really
- 00:18:39interesting just in kind of like a
- 00:18:40tangent of what we're talking about is
- 00:18:43it will also send you signals when
- 00:18:44things are not right as equally as when
- 00:18:47you want need to make change or or do
- 00:18:48something different and so what I find
- 00:18:50really interesting I don't know if
- 00:18:51anyone or yourself can resonate with
- 00:18:53this but if I'm really stressed or I'm
- 00:18:55really out of alignment I will always
- 00:18:57get the same pain and it's in my neck
- 00:19:00it's always just neck pain and I always
- 00:19:01used to think oh I'm on the computer too
- 00:19:03much but I remember it happening one
- 00:19:05time when I was on holidays I got um you
- 00:19:07know something happened and I I got a
- 00:19:08bit stressful and I was like well I
- 00:19:10haven't been on my computer so I now
- 00:19:11noticed that as like my body's language
- 00:19:14but I think just tuning into little
- 00:19:15things whether it is in moments of
- 00:19:17stress in moments of change um whether
- 00:19:19it's a kneejerk reaction before your
- 00:19:21mind kicks in like just getting familiar
- 00:19:23with how you respond to things and what
- 00:19:25that looks like in your body is so
- 00:19:27powerful to take control of your own
- 00:19:29life so yeah and that also applies you
- 00:19:32know I've like deeply studied this even
- 00:19:34when it comes to like communication but
- 00:19:36that also applies to like when you meet
- 00:19:38people I don't know about you I don't
- 00:19:39know if you've ever met like in a social
- 00:19:41situation you bumped into new people
- 00:19:43you've met them my body instantly tells
- 00:19:45me if I am the vibe yeah you can feel
- 00:19:48the energy am I for that person or am I
- 00:19:51not and usually I when I even when my
- 00:19:53body tells me not they're not my vibe I
- 00:19:57still then convince myself no know it's
- 00:19:59okay like oh I'm I start doubting myself
- 00:20:01rather than doubting the other person
- 00:20:03and we need to trust ourselves more
- 00:20:05that's what it comes down to and I think
- 00:20:07that this is when we start to get into
- 00:20:10you know bad friendships or bad
- 00:20:12relationships because we are not
- 00:20:14following our gut and that that we need
- 00:20:16to be able to pick up these signs and
- 00:20:18that level of self-awareness is really
- 00:20:20key I think yeah and I think um one
- 00:20:22thing that helped me get comfortable
- 00:20:23with that cuz I was a bit like oh but
- 00:20:25they're not a bad person I was over over
- 00:20:26complicating it I was like it's not even
- 00:20:28about good or bad or that they've done
- 00:20:30something wrong it's just alignment like
- 00:20:32at the end of the day like our energies
- 00:20:33are just not aligned and that doesn't
- 00:20:35mean I need to not like you or doesn't
- 00:20:37mean you have to have done something
- 00:20:38wrong to me we're just not aligned and I
- 00:20:40just don't need to give you more than
- 00:20:42what I have to totally and fine so fine
- 00:20:45I'd love to ask you a bit about finding
- 00:20:47your voice like obviously through
- 00:20:48speaker and and different things that
- 00:20:50you're doing now that's something you're
- 00:20:51helping other people achieve and I think
- 00:20:54it's such a powerful thing I mean as a
- 00:20:57podcast host I know the power of my
- 00:20:58voice in learning in communicating in
- 00:21:02understanding different things and and I
- 00:21:05think connecting is another big one too
- 00:21:07so when it comes to finding your voice
- 00:21:09what does that actually mean because I
- 00:21:10think there may be a lot of people
- 00:21:12listening have not even considered what
- 00:21:14is my what is my voice like what does
- 00:21:16even now that I'm thinking about it like
- 00:21:18okay it's the physical thing like it's
- 00:21:20my voice but what does that mean in
- 00:21:22terms of how I portray myself to the
- 00:21:25world and how how do people go about
- 00:21:26locating what that even is for them
- 00:21:29yeah great question I think for me the
- 00:21:31reason that all kind of started was when
- 00:21:34I was shifting from my main job which
- 00:21:36was being on the radio to then what next
- 00:21:39and I had a like kind of mind shift of
- 00:21:43perspective so I went from the day to
- 00:21:45day okay this is taking over month to
- 00:21:47month this is taking over to then legacy
- 00:21:50mode I went to mode of what am I leaving
- 00:21:53behind what am I sharing with people
- 00:21:56around me that I have learned from my
- 00:21:58journey that they can you know that can
- 00:22:01help them along theirs and that's when I
- 00:22:04started to think about how I used to be
- 00:22:06an absolute mute as a child and now I'm
- 00:22:09hosting some of the biggest events and
- 00:22:10TV shows in country I wouldn't believe
- 00:22:12that for a second right and and my Mom
- 00:22:14and Grandma still to this day are like
- 00:22:16are you the same person like they just
- 00:22:18cannot it doesn't click for them but
- 00:22:21that really resonated with me and so
- 00:22:23what I did was I sat down and I was like
- 00:22:25okay so how did you get from A to Z how
- 00:22:27did you do it
- 00:22:29and I realized what I have taught myself
- 00:22:32I could framework and I could help
- 00:22:33people to actually learn that framework
- 00:22:35and do it in less time than I can so it
- 00:22:38was that shift of to to legacy mode of
- 00:22:40what do I actually want to leave behind
- 00:22:42and that kind of like zooming out and
- 00:22:44bigger picture of that this is so much
- 00:22:47bigger than you what's your purpose like
- 00:22:48what's your impact 100% And so then you
- 00:22:53know I looked at okay I found my voice I
- 00:22:55found my voice and I kept asking myself
- 00:22:57the question what does that mean though
- 00:22:58me what does that mean and so it was
- 00:23:01identifying what was truly me and I
- 00:23:05created something called The Voice layer
- 00:23:07Theory after doing all of my kind of
- 00:23:09like looking back and you know H how can
- 00:23:12I build this and how can I teach this to
- 00:23:13other people and the easiest way to
- 00:23:15describe it is that when you're when
- 00:23:17you're born uh in your most you know
- 00:23:20developing early years the biggest
- 00:23:23influence on your voice from the get-go
- 00:23:26your parents right your mom dad or your
- 00:23:29Guardians whoever is is Raising you and
- 00:23:32on top of that then say you've got your
- 00:23:34voice here you've got the parents on top
- 00:23:36then on top of that we go to school
- 00:23:38we've got teachers we've got other
- 00:23:39students on top of that we're consuming
- 00:23:41media TV radio on top of that now in a
- 00:23:44world of social media where millions of
- 00:23:46voices are influencing us telling us
- 00:23:49what we should feel what we should think
- 00:23:51what our opinions should be on certain
- 00:23:52things and what I realized is we're
- 00:23:55there at the bottom we're the foundation
- 00:23:57but the all these are building up on top
- 00:23:59of us and what's happening is our own
- 00:24:02voice is getting diluted so I don't know
- 00:24:04about you but like in any situation even
- 00:24:07with my partner I say something and I'm
- 00:24:09like that wasn't me that was my mom yeah
- 00:24:12oh yeah that's a big one he's actually
- 00:24:13been good calling me out being like yeah
- 00:24:15that was your mom yeah and I'm so glad
- 00:24:18he does because we sometimes we do need
- 00:24:20that you know when I'm when I'm with a
- 00:24:22friend and she's like what do you want
- 00:24:24to have for dinner and I'm like Oh sushi
- 00:24:26and she's like oh yes let's go for sushi
- 00:24:28and I'm like lii did you want sushi or
- 00:24:30did you just know that she loves sushi
- 00:24:32so you're going for sushi you're like
- 00:24:34damn should have picked the ramen right
- 00:24:36obsessed with Ramen by the way obsessed
- 00:24:38um so it was all of these things of we
- 00:24:40got so many people influencing our voice
- 00:24:43and what we don't do and what we've
- 00:24:45never been taught from a young age is
- 00:24:46that our voice is its own
- 00:24:49nucleus we kind of just think it's a
- 00:24:51default and a given but your voice is
- 00:24:53your greatest asset it is one of the
- 00:24:56core things that help you you to
- 00:24:59communicate who you are to the world how
- 00:25:02come we haven't done the groundwork in
- 00:25:04identifying what that voice is so
- 00:25:07there's a way to kind of identify that
- 00:25:09and break all those layers down and it
- 00:25:11takes a lot of time i' would love to sit
- 00:25:12here and say okay okay I can you can do
- 00:25:14it yeah yeah but it took me a lot of
- 00:25:16time and what I did was first was
- 00:25:18isolate my voice so that was taking
- 00:25:21myself away for like a week or so when I
- 00:25:23say taking myself away I wish I was
- 00:25:25going to like some Private Island no it
- 00:25:27was just not cons consuming social media
- 00:25:29detox it was exactly that detox and then
- 00:25:32also just not talking to a lot of people
- 00:25:34for a week which is Amazing by the way
- 00:25:36and we all need to do it we need to just
- 00:25:38sit with ourselves for a while and I
- 00:25:40started questioning everything question
- 00:25:44everything if I if you walk away with
- 00:25:46anything if you're listening right now
- 00:25:48and you walk away with anything today is
- 00:25:49just question every decision you make
- 00:25:52every thought you have every opinion and
- 00:25:55feeling you have why do I feel that way
- 00:25:58how come how come that's what you chose
- 00:26:01I started even questioning like the
- 00:26:03tiniest things from what what do I want
- 00:26:06to have for dinner okay why are you
- 00:26:08choosing that why n me and it's really
- 00:26:11can get really tedious but the point is
- 00:26:13that that's the only way to break
- 00:26:15through because then you start realizing
- 00:26:18why you start making these choices is it
- 00:26:20you or is it someone else highly
- 00:26:22influencing it what's the source what's
- 00:26:24the source and I got to the point where
- 00:26:25I was like journalism I started
- 00:26:27questioning my whole career my purpose
- 00:26:29and I was like did I do it cuz my mom
- 00:26:31wanted me to do it or did I want to do
- 00:26:32it and you have a bit of an identity
- 00:26:34crisis through it all but that just
- 00:26:35means it's working yeah it's really
- 00:26:37working so I isolated my voice
- 00:26:40completely and then what I started doing
- 00:26:42was evaluating the voices around me so
- 00:26:45the five closest people to me you know
- 00:26:47they say the you are the average of the
- 00:26:49five closest people to you okay who who
- 00:26:51are they then let's actually identify
- 00:26:53them and let's actually recognize if
- 00:26:55there a positive influence on my voice
- 00:26:57if they are guiding my voice enhancing
- 00:26:59my voice are they helping it in any way
- 00:27:02or are they dimming my voice and so
- 00:27:05that's what made me really identify the
- 00:27:07people and then for me it was just
- 00:27:09elimination you know and and I had to be
- 00:27:11pretty Cutthroat because I'm like this
- 00:27:13is this is me this is my nucleus I have
- 00:27:16to protect my voice at all costs and I
- 00:27:19don't think we think of it that way no
- 00:27:21and when I when I interviewed Gary Vee I
- 00:27:24asked him about that and I said so how
- 00:27:26did you find your voice
- 00:27:28and you know how how would you share
- 00:27:30with other people that they can find
- 00:27:32their voice and he said you know I found
- 00:27:35my voice in the trenches of other voices
- 00:27:37and he said that my mom was such a
- 00:27:40positive influence on my voice and I
- 00:27:43just realized that other people's voices
- 00:27:45don't matter so much to me you know and
- 00:27:47he completely isolated his voice away
- 00:27:50from everyone else to identify what it
- 00:27:52is and and that to me was just like okay
- 00:27:55this guy knows what he's doing you know
- 00:27:57they say never take advice from people
- 00:27:59who haven't already done it he's done it
- 00:28:01right and so that those two things for
- 00:28:04me was isolating my voice and then
- 00:28:05evaluating all the voices around me and
- 00:28:07then rebuilding rebuilding the voices
- 00:28:09around you okay so who does make you
- 00:28:10feel good who does enhance your voice
- 00:28:13and then that started to beef out the
- 00:28:16skeleton a bit of of what it is that's
- 00:28:18truly me and I think that that's what
- 00:28:21finding your voice is and by the way
- 00:28:23it's an Ever evolving Journey it is I
- 00:28:25can't sit here and say to you yep I
- 00:28:26found it I've mastered it 100% % no no
- 00:28:28no it changes every single day and
- 00:28:31sometimes other voices outgrow you too
- 00:28:33you know we talk about friends
- 00:28:34outgrowing and like you just meet each
- 00:28:36other at a certain path and and then you
- 00:28:38kind of Amic amicably go your different
- 00:28:41ways but that's how I feel about certain
- 00:28:43voices as well and I and I just wish
- 00:28:45people saw our voices as external beings
- 00:28:49and not just a default within us I think
- 00:28:52this is so so powerful and a really
- 00:28:55interesting thing for people to do and
- 00:28:56when you were kind of talking about the
- 00:28:57isolation pce I was thinking in my head
- 00:28:59this is going to be quite difficult
- 00:29:01because you're in in the world we live
- 00:29:04in like no one lives in their own lane
- 00:29:06without any external stimulation so I
- 00:29:09love that there's that second piece of
- 00:29:10actually critically analyzing like who
- 00:29:12are those five people you could even
- 00:29:14take it a step further and be like what
- 00:29:15content am I consuming who am I
- 00:29:17following online because I feel like
- 00:29:19even though even even if you are not
- 00:29:21with somebody all the time if that is
- 00:29:23someone you're listening to constantly
- 00:29:25like what other the things they're
- 00:29:26saying are they aligned for you and this
- 00:29:28just to me is like screaming like it's
- 00:29:31like ultimate alignment because when you
- 00:29:33can work out this is like such an
- 00:29:35amazing blueprint for anything in life
- 00:29:37like to really like get down to why you
- 00:29:39have certain beliefs about yourself why
- 00:29:41you make certain decisions why you you
- 00:29:43know for people who struggle to set
- 00:29:44boundaries who feel guilty for doing
- 00:29:46things or not doing things who doubt
- 00:29:49their own potential like these are all
- 00:29:51things I've struggled with and I can
- 00:29:52just see the value in when you peel that
- 00:29:54away and you're like what is the source
- 00:29:56where is the truth in my voice and this
- 00:29:58and where have I lay it on top of what
- 00:30:00other people think yeah it's such a
- 00:30:02powerful way to work out what's going on
- 00:30:04I just want to share one experience I
- 00:30:06had last year that's actually really
- 00:30:07resonating with what you just shared and
- 00:30:09I went to um Greece for my sister's
- 00:30:12wedding last year in August and I don't
- 00:30:14really drink that much
- 00:30:16alcohol but in the last few years since
- 00:30:18moving here particularly it's been less
- 00:30:21and less and less I mean it's a big part
- 00:30:22of the culture in Australia it's not
- 00:30:24something I do he I enjoy a drink when
- 00:30:26I'm out but again not something do
- 00:30:28regularly and when I went to Greece last
- 00:30:30year uh just before that i' been doing a
- 00:30:32lot of work on myself spending a lot
- 00:30:34more time by myself I I call myself a
- 00:30:36retired extrovert I was that person that
- 00:30:38I used to hate being in my own company
- 00:30:40I'd always be like I'd have like a 100
- 00:30:42coffee acquaintances like I was that
- 00:30:44person yeah and since moving here I've
- 00:30:46really embraced the value of being alone
- 00:30:50hearing myself creating that space so
- 00:30:52anyway went to Grace for my sister's
- 00:30:53wedding and it was a very social
- 00:30:55beautiful fun time catching up with
- 00:30:57family obviously none live here so it
- 00:30:59was a really nice time and you know
- 00:31:01you're in Greece it's summer you're
- 00:31:03having spritzes every day that kind of
- 00:31:05experience when I got back I had a rude
- 00:31:08shock because I realized how detached I
- 00:31:11was from myself it was like I couldn't
- 00:31:14not this dramatic but like take it
- 00:31:16metaphorically like I couldn't feel my
- 00:31:18body cues I like my intuition was
- 00:31:20nowhere to be found and ever since that
- 00:31:23experience every time I have had alcohol
- 00:31:26I feel like I'm very hyper aware as to
- 00:31:29the thoughts I have when I start to feel
- 00:31:31a bit tipsy how that changes how that
- 00:31:32voice changes um so you know I just
- 00:31:35wanted to bring it up because I feel
- 00:31:36like even things you do or places that
- 00:31:38you immerse yourself in can impact that
- 00:31:41voice if it's not as direct as like
- 00:31:42somebody else's voice and alcohol for me
- 00:31:45has been something I'm now like super
- 00:31:47attuned to as something that disconnects
- 00:31:50me from my own voice um so that was just
- 00:31:53a really weird experience I had I don't
- 00:31:55know if you I don't know if you drink at
- 00:31:57all or if you've had a experience I know
- 00:31:59when you were speaking about that it
- 00:32:01what made me kind of resonate with that
- 00:32:03is every time I go home and I'm
- 00:32:04surrounded by people that make me
- 00:32:07disconnect with myself because you know
- 00:32:09living away from home for so long when
- 00:32:11you go back to the place that you grew
- 00:32:12up a lot of you know a lot of people
- 00:32:14here in the UA could probably resonate
- 00:32:16is that then you surround yourself with
- 00:32:18the people who know the old you yeah and
- 00:32:21so you regress almost you you literally
- 00:32:24go back to that little girl and I feel
- 00:32:26like every single time I go home I go
- 00:32:28back to that little girl and I'm again
- 00:32:30that insecure timid mute and then I come
- 00:32:32back to Dubai and I have to almost
- 00:32:34relearn myself yeah it's crazy it's such
- 00:32:36a we introdu myself and so that goes for
- 00:32:40drinking that goes for people and that
- 00:32:42just tells you the people the things
- 00:32:44that you should not be consuming that's
- 00:32:46across the board and so I think that
- 00:32:49those that again that level of awareness
- 00:32:51for you to come home and like recognize
- 00:32:53that is huge yeah I had a guest on once
- 00:32:56and she was talking about how when you
- 00:32:58go and visit family and you've been away
- 00:33:00for so long and you've created your own
- 00:33:01life you there's this like anxiety or
- 00:33:04fear or actual reality of regressing
- 00:33:07back into she was talking about in the
- 00:33:09context of a family Dynamic but you have
- 00:33:11a role to play in your family and that
- 00:33:13was growing up right you might have been
- 00:33:14the person that lashed out you might
- 00:33:16have been the person that copped all the
- 00:33:18comments from someone you might have
- 00:33:19been the adjudicator like everyone has a
- 00:33:21role in a family and when you're in that
- 00:33:22Dynamic you almost regress back into
- 00:33:24that role even if you've done a lot of
- 00:33:26work to kind of Evol and grow out of it
- 00:33:28so it's just really interesting I think
- 00:33:30like some of these things you you know
- 00:33:32I'm always going to go home and visit my
- 00:33:33family I I'm not at the stage where I've
- 00:33:36like cut out alcohol for life but it's
- 00:33:38just having this awareness so now when I
- 00:33:40am doing these things I'm a lot more
- 00:33:41intentional because I know the impact it
- 00:33:43has on my voice and my con my you know
- 00:33:46my intuition my connection with self so
- 00:33:48yeah I just wanted to bring that up cuz
- 00:33:50it really like reminded me of what you
- 00:33:51were just sharing and I think the
- 00:33:53framework you've shared is really really
- 00:33:55valuable just like to anything
- 00:33:58yeah absolutely I um I asked you the
- 00:34:00other day before you came on the podcast
- 00:34:03today I asked you if there was anything
- 00:34:06you'd been ruminating on thinking about
- 00:34:09because I'm the kind of person where you
- 00:34:11might hear me talking about a lot of
- 00:34:12things on the show people will hear like
- 00:34:14similar themes coming up but I'm always
- 00:34:16I'm the kind of person that like Ponders
- 00:34:17on a lot of things like 24/7 I'm like a
- 00:34:20ruminator so I asked you if there was
- 00:34:22anything you'd been thinking about or
- 00:34:23like just talking about generally and
- 00:34:24there were a few things that really
- 00:34:26stood out to me from what you shared the
- 00:34:27first one is this difference between
- 00:34:31being nice and being assertive mhm and
- 00:34:34this is something I've struggled with as
- 00:34:36someone who I think grew up as a people
- 00:34:39pleaser trying not to ruffle any
- 00:34:42feathers mhm trying not to come across
- 00:34:46as rude right always be the nice person
- 00:34:48always be the bigger
- 00:34:50person but that's meant I haven't been
- 00:34:52assertive in moments where I should have
- 00:34:54probably stood up for myself so how have
- 00:34:57you been think about this junk show with
- 00:34:58being nice and being assertive and is
- 00:35:00there like a happy medium yeah yeah I
- 00:35:03think you know I had to
- 00:35:06completely dissolve the idea that I had
- 00:35:10that it's either being nice or being
- 00:35:11mean and I thought those are my only two
- 00:35:15options and especially as a woman I feel
- 00:35:18that for us we do have different
- 00:35:20approaches especially now as an
- 00:35:22entrepreneur I'm speaking purely as an
- 00:35:23entrepreneur that being in in a in the
- 00:35:26room and you know having conversations
- 00:35:28that you know are up to the progress of
- 00:35:32your company and you know you're talking
- 00:35:33about bigger things that are bigger than
- 00:35:35you that I feel I felt just really
- 00:35:39uncomfortable with with that I'm kind of
- 00:35:41like you I was like a people pleaser I
- 00:35:43was just you know I just want to be nice
- 00:35:45that's the only way I know how to
- 00:35:47operate is to just be kind uh my dad you
- 00:35:51know when we were growing up my mom and
- 00:35:52dad always just said like I don't even
- 00:35:54care what religion you are just be a
- 00:35:55good person just be a good person and
- 00:35:58that has how that just how me and my
- 00:36:00sister have been raised so then
- 00:36:03specifically in the media industry I
- 00:36:05really struggled with it really
- 00:36:07struggled with it because you know I um
- 00:36:10I actually I'll share a story with you I
- 00:36:11had a uh hairdresser um at the TV studio
- 00:36:15and he's left now and on his last day he
- 00:36:17took me to the side and he was like you
- 00:36:19know I absolutely love you but I have to
- 00:36:21share something with you I have to tell
- 00:36:22you something if there's one thing that
- 00:36:24that I leave with you this is it I was
- 00:36:26like yeah sure'll go for it and goes you
- 00:36:28need to stop being so nice you just need
- 00:36:31to stop and I was like why do I what I
- 00:36:34thought he was joking and he said yeah
- 00:36:36you need to be a bit of a around
- 00:36:37here to be
- 00:36:39respected and I just sat with that for a
- 00:36:41while cuz I was like well hang on a
- 00:36:44second that's not the way I operate it
- 00:36:47would be really alien for me to try to
- 00:36:51be that to be
- 00:36:53respected because you know there are
- 00:36:56there are people in the world in the
- 00:36:58industry who do navigate themselves in
- 00:37:01that way and I sat with myself and I was
- 00:37:03like yes 100% they probably get their
- 00:37:06stuff done for them in a better manner
- 00:37:09in a quicker more efficient manner
- 00:37:11because the people that are doing it for
- 00:37:12them operate from fear not from love for
- 00:37:15them it's from absolute fear yeah that's
- 00:37:18not respect at the end of day it's not
- 00:37:19respect and that's not what I want
- 00:37:22whatsoever and I um I went to a friend
- 00:37:25of mine who's in the industry in the US
- 00:37:27and I was like they' he's told me this
- 00:37:30what do you think because at the same
- 00:37:31time I was experiencing a lot of
- 00:37:34disrespect a lot of
- 00:37:36undervaluing and I thought in that
- 00:37:39moment I was like yeah you know what I'm
- 00:37:41going to be this I'm going to be like
- 00:37:42that hard nut obviously it was just like
- 00:37:45in the spur of the moment and I the
- 00:37:46adrenaline rushing it just wasn't true
- 00:37:49to me but I think that what I have
- 00:37:51figured out and what I'm still learning
- 00:37:53to this day is the difference between
- 00:37:55being kind in a certain
- 00:37:58I think that you can still be kind with
- 00:38:00it but still be very clear and concise
- 00:38:03about what it is that you want and I
- 00:38:05think that I got muddled with that I
- 00:38:07thought you know as the talent that you
- 00:38:09know oh I don't want anyone to think I'm
- 00:38:11difficult I don't want anyone to think
- 00:38:13I'm a Diva as women we get labeled so
- 00:38:16easily Diva difficult is what we
- 00:38:19get if a man does it it's wow like he's
- 00:38:23got something about him he's powerful
- 00:38:24he's strong whereas we get labeled
- 00:38:27completely something different and so
- 00:38:29that kind of balance I've literally been
- 00:38:32trying to just weave into to my everyday
- 00:38:36interactions and that has been stopping
- 00:38:38myself I've literally been stopping
- 00:38:40myself from just being the yes person
- 00:38:42and stripping it back and that's a
- 00:38:45that's a you know a quality of a highly
- 00:38:47confident person is the ability to
- 00:38:49respond and not react so responding
- 00:38:52means taking your time it means not
- 00:38:54waffling it means understanding and
- 00:38:56treating your words like gold that you
- 00:38:59don't need to say a lot you just need to
- 00:39:03keep it concise keep it tight and get
- 00:39:04your message across in the in the right
- 00:39:06way and as a woman I just feel like I
- 00:39:09have been learning to and I've been
- 00:39:12burnt along the way I mean I'm sure you
- 00:39:14can share some stories but I have really
- 00:39:17leared the hard way of being too nice
- 00:39:19cuz people also walk all over you yeah
- 00:39:21they take advantage they treat you
- 00:39:23terribly cuz they're like oh she'll be
- 00:39:24fine oh n won't mind she'll say yes yeah
- 00:39:27yeah she never Minds that happens all
- 00:39:29the time and so I'm just learning now
- 00:39:31that you know what Nim there's a way to
- 00:39:32be kind and super nice with it and
- 00:39:36respectful but you just need to be very
- 00:39:38clear about what you want and then
- 00:39:40you'll get the outcome you want as well
- 00:39:41yeah I think it comes down to me what
- 00:39:43you said at the very beginning which is
- 00:39:45being uh assertive or sorry what did you
- 00:39:48say you said being kind and being mean
- 00:39:50aren't the aren't the two options right
- 00:39:52and being assertive doesn't mean you're
- 00:39:53being mean it actually for me it comes
- 00:39:56down as well to like communicating your
- 00:39:58boundaries right and I think if we even
- 00:40:00go back to what we were talking about
- 00:40:01before if you strip down and come to
- 00:40:03Source it's like well why do I feel the
- 00:40:05need to put this person's Comfort or
- 00:40:08desires above my own because that's what
- 00:40:10people pleasing is it's saying yes to
- 00:40:11someone else and saying no to yourself
- 00:40:13and when I had that realization I was
- 00:40:15like this is ridiculous I would never
- 00:40:17expect somebody else to say no to
- 00:40:19themselves and yes to me just to make me
- 00:40:21feel better like it's their life like if
- 00:40:24they said no to me it actually doesn't
- 00:40:25really change that much about my life
- 00:40:27think wej up this story so many times of
- 00:40:30like how much impct we're having on
- 00:40:31other people when we say no but it's
- 00:40:33like honey you're the character of your
- 00:40:35own story only like everyone else is
- 00:40:37just going to get on with their lives
- 00:40:38like you don't have they don't care
- 00:40:39about you as much as what you think they
- 00:40:41do which is the harsh truth like
- 00:40:43something I had to realize as well but
- 00:40:47yeah it's uh I've had a lot of scenarios
- 00:40:49where in the last few years the more
- 00:40:51aligned I'm feeling I'm able
- 00:40:54to not defend myself but I think be
- 00:40:57assertive in what I want and what I will
- 00:40:59not tolerate I think I've had more
- 00:41:01experiences in that realm where if I had
- 00:41:03responded in the moment if I had not
- 00:41:05taken my time it could have been
- 00:41:06emotional react like you know reactive
- 00:41:09and but taking your time and just
- 00:41:10responding in a way that feels aligned
- 00:41:12for you I I have a specific scenario in
- 00:41:15mind which I won't go in detail about
- 00:41:17but it was a bit of like an explosive
- 00:41:19interaction with somebody via text and
- 00:41:22you know people are saying reply like
- 00:41:24this and say these angry things and use
- 00:41:26like you know swearing and emotion and
- 00:41:29that's just not me I my tolerance for
- 00:41:32anger like I just it's not an emotion I
- 00:41:34really Express like I've got an Italian
- 00:41:37family which may be very surprising that
- 00:41:38I don't carry that trait but my sisters
- 00:41:41you know they're very loud and they like
- 00:41:42yelling and that's just how they express
- 00:41:44themselves but that is not true to me
- 00:41:47and so when I've been in those moments
- 00:41:49where I've had all the emotions sitting
- 00:41:51behind it but I don't outwardly respond
- 00:41:53that way and it's almost like expected I
- 00:41:56just take my time with it that feels
- 00:41:58more aligned for me but in the same vein
- 00:42:01sometimes that means I just don't say
- 00:42:02anything at all and that's me being too
- 00:42:05nice because I don't want to you know
- 00:42:08Kick the Can further down the road or
- 00:42:09continue the explosive kind of
- 00:42:11interaction so I think it's an
- 00:42:13interesting one to think about like at
- 00:42:15what point do you assert yourself in a
- 00:42:17way that's aligned for you and I think
- 00:42:19it just comes down to delivery yeah
- 00:42:20right because yeah absolutely and I
- 00:42:23think that it goes back to our previous
- 00:42:24point when we talk about finding your
- 00:42:25voice it's that am I reacting or
- 00:42:28responding it's like having that
- 00:42:29check-in with yourself you know and
- 00:42:31questioning yourself was that a reaction
- 00:42:32or was that an actual response and you
- 00:42:34know even in professional settings
- 00:42:36sometimes even in Social settings we
- 00:42:37feel so pressured to like give an answer
- 00:42:40or respond straight away and just take a
- 00:42:42Beat Just take a beat take a breath and
- 00:42:47then you know what even if you don't
- 00:42:48know the answer you know what I'm not
- 00:42:50quite clear on that let me get back to
- 00:42:52you yeah because your words have value
- 00:42:56so don't just give them away willy-nilly
- 00:42:58you know think about it because you'll
- 00:43:01walk away and thinking why on Earth did
- 00:43:02I say that that's not even what I was
- 00:43:04thinking or feeling so give yourself
- 00:43:06that Grace to be able to just like take
- 00:43:08a moment and move with it and then just
- 00:43:10like the last thing I would say on that
- 00:43:12is just that it goes back to one of our
- 00:43:14previous points which is like
- 00:43:14relationships is everything and so I
- 00:43:17never I never want someone to walk away
- 00:43:20from a human to Human Experience and
- 00:43:23interaction with me and feel horrible it
- 00:43:26is something I am so so conscious of in
- 00:43:28every single thing I do whether that is
- 00:43:30walking onto the set and talking to the
- 00:43:32crew and saying hello to them and
- 00:43:33thanking them for their time and energy
- 00:43:36all the way through to the director you
- 00:43:37know it doesn't matter who it is I'm
- 00:43:39treating you exactly the same and I
- 00:43:41think that we lose sight of that
- 00:43:44sometimes in this like doggy dog world
- 00:43:46and you know oh we need to get on top of
- 00:43:48each other we need to be each other
- 00:43:49comparisons and stuff I'm like when it
- 00:43:51comes down to it when I'm 90 years old
- 00:43:53what am I going to remember I'm going to
- 00:43:55remember the beautiful people and the
- 00:43:57Beautiful experiences that I had with
- 00:43:59people the memories the good times and
- 00:44:01that's what I want to leave with people
- 00:44:03I never want someone to walk away from
- 00:44:04me thinking oh God she's a bit you know
- 00:44:07and I think that that with that being
- 00:44:10said you want to leave a good impression
- 00:44:13and a good feeling with them but in
- 00:44:15protecting yourself at the same time
- 00:44:17yeah I think that can be challenging
- 00:44:19when you come across personalities or
- 00:44:21people that do have that doggy dog world
- 00:44:23attitude and they're like coming at you
- 00:44:25right and it again like there's this
- 00:44:26thing called projection which means it
- 00:44:28may not even have anything to do with
- 00:44:29you you might just be in the firing line
- 00:44:31that day but I think this is when the
- 00:44:32power of finding your own voice is so
- 00:44:34important because you will come across
- 00:44:37different kinds of tornadoes I call them
- 00:44:39in life and and really at the end of the
- 00:44:41day like you don't need to match their
- 00:44:43energy because if you're aligned and
- 00:44:44like centered in your own voice in your
- 00:44:47own energy you just respond from a way
- 00:44:49that's authentic to you but that again
- 00:44:51takes time and your voice is an evolving
- 00:44:53thing uh people's voices around you are
- 00:44:55evolving thing and you grow and change
- 00:44:57so just like constantly doing that and
- 00:45:00some of the beautiful tips you've shared
- 00:45:02so far I think are really useful for
- 00:45:03people to just check in with themselves
- 00:45:05it's all about that regular check-in
- 00:45:07creating space for that regularly like I
- 00:45:09do that through spending time on my own
- 00:45:11which is something I've learned over the
- 00:45:13last few years or meditation or you know
- 00:45:15I I I live in my head a lot I like to
- 00:45:17journal like kind of notes on my phone
- 00:45:19people have different Outlets you do you
- 00:45:21kind of have something that yeah I um I
- 00:45:24live in my notes app and a lot of photo
- 00:45:26albums so you know even when I'm feeling
- 00:45:29kind of like low in self-confidence or
- 00:45:31I'm kind of having my my doubts of who I
- 00:45:33am why am I here what am I doing you
- 00:45:35know we all have those 100% And it
- 00:45:38happens regularly um I have a photo
- 00:45:41album called my wins and I take photos
- 00:45:43from tiny little things to oh I actually
- 00:45:45made dinner this week all the way
- 00:45:47through to hosting one of the biggest
- 00:45:49events of the year it ranges but what I
- 00:45:52like to do is that is my reminder album
- 00:45:55I I just skim through those photos and
- 00:45:57I'm like you did that you did that no
- 00:46:00one else did it you did it and it's just
- 00:46:02a tiny little reminder to me that hang
- 00:46:04on a second yes you're thinking way in
- 00:46:07the future of like I'm not where I want
- 00:46:09to be it's 2024 I should have X amount I
- 00:46:11should be doing this I should be hosting
- 00:46:13this many things no let's look back and
- 00:46:16see how far you've come and these kind
- 00:46:18of little just this one technique I
- 00:46:19share with my community is creating a my
- 00:46:21wins album and that's all it takes if
- 00:46:23you're not a v I'm very much a visual
- 00:46:25person so looking back at the photos and
- 00:46:27videos totally shift my perspective
- 00:46:30sometimes it's just on your notes
- 00:46:31sometimes it's just listing out my
- 00:46:32January wins and then saying this is
- 00:46:35what I did this month and I'm really
- 00:46:36bloody proud of myself for that so
- 00:46:39recognizing that and and and what we
- 00:46:41were talking about earlier was kind of
- 00:46:42like loud confidence versus soft
- 00:46:44confidence you know you're speaking
- 00:46:45about your sisters and how they're quite
- 00:46:47fiery that's loud confidence but then
- 00:46:49there's others of us that would consider
- 00:46:51ourselves introverts that have that soft
- 00:46:54confidence we don't come across the
- 00:46:55loudest in the room you know we're not
- 00:46:57the most attention-seeking individuals
- 00:46:59but in my opinion I am the most
- 00:47:02confidence when I'm in my introvert mode
- 00:47:04like I call myself a bit of an extrovert
- 00:47:05introvert because I am both and I and
- 00:47:08different scenarios and situations bring
- 00:47:10different versions of me out but I think
- 00:47:13what is a misconception is the loudest
- 00:47:15person in the room is the most confident
- 00:47:16oh yeah right absolutely not if anything
- 00:47:20when now when I'm in a social setting
- 00:47:22and someone is super loud I have so much
- 00:47:24compassion for them CU I'm like there is
- 00:47:26some
- 00:47:27there is something a lot deeper there um
- 00:47:30that you think looks like oh my god wow
- 00:47:33I want to beat them no there's always
- 00:47:35something there you know I I kind of
- 00:47:36like feel feel a bit for them cuz I'm
- 00:47:38like there's a reason they're seeking
- 00:47:39the validation the attention and I think
- 00:47:42that we need to recognize that as
- 00:47:43individuals we don't have to be the
- 00:47:44loudest in the room to be the most
- 00:47:46confident at all yeah absolutely and
- 00:47:49just to kind of circle back to your uh
- 00:47:51album of wins I'm glad you brought up
- 00:47:53for the less visual people cuz I I think
- 00:47:55I'm more like written word style I have
- 00:47:58an Excel sheet which is very corporate
- 00:48:00of me but it's just because it's kind of
- 00:48:03tied in with a couple other things I'm
- 00:48:05tracking so to speak but I have like a
- 00:48:07wins list and so whenever something
- 00:48:09happens big or small doesn't matter I'll
- 00:48:11put it on the list and again it's
- 00:48:13something I can go back and reflect on
- 00:48:14and the best part about doing this
- 00:48:16whether you pick a photo album whether
- 00:48:18it's in your notes whether it's on an
- 00:48:19Excel sheet is once you know you are
- 00:48:22filling something out you have something
- 00:48:24to add to you start looking for those
- 00:48:25things not like oh it's the end of
- 00:48:27January what did I achieve I need to
- 00:48:29write something out if you know that's
- 00:48:31coming up it helps you it kind of like
- 00:48:33activates something and you start
- 00:48:34looking for things to be grateful for or
- 00:48:36proud of yourself for because you've put
- 00:48:38it on your radar and then it becomes the
- 00:48:40you know it doesn't matter how big
- 00:48:41something small is you're like oh this
- 00:48:43can go on my list or this can go in my
- 00:48:44album and that's a really beautiful
- 00:48:46practice to have and all that does is
- 00:48:48just build your confidence it builds
- 00:48:50your you know just self assurance that
- 00:48:52hang on I I I did all this I can move
- 00:48:55forward and just sit if you are feeling
- 00:48:57low and self-confidence sit with it as
- 00:48:59well I never tried to push myself
- 00:49:01through it you know if I'm feeling
- 00:49:02rubbish which I was this week a lot um I
- 00:49:05was just kind of like oh you're this
- 00:49:07you're that you know like really talking
- 00:49:08myself down and then only when I sat
- 00:49:10with that I gave myself myself 24 hours
- 00:49:12I was like sit with it feel it all
- 00:49:14because then you're going to be feel
- 00:49:16great tomorrow and you'll feel grateful
- 00:49:17for the rise up and you know I wouldn't
- 00:49:20say push yourself through it I would
- 00:49:22just say move with it move with all the
- 00:49:24emotions and then the next say just get
- 00:49:27back on it absolutely if I ever have a
- 00:49:28day you know it's generally once a month
- 00:49:30I have a big crying day yeah I always
- 00:49:32feel so good the next day it's like you
- 00:49:34just let something go but just like
- 00:49:36emotions are all um they're all
- 00:49:39temporary you know nothing lasts forever
- 00:49:42just feel it let it do its thing and I
- 00:49:44think the more Roar you can get with
- 00:49:45yourself the the bigger the bounce back
- 00:49:47almost and it's just that's the es and
- 00:49:49flows like even when I talk about life
- 00:49:51balance it's never trying to achieve
- 00:49:53this you know holistic middle level
- 00:49:55state where you're never dealing with
- 00:49:56things you need the lows because it's a
- 00:49:58point of reference for the high moments
- 00:50:00and sometimes low moments are points of
- 00:50:02change or points of reflection and
- 00:50:04everything serves its purpose there's a
- 00:50:06beautiful Harmony between these binary
- 00:50:08moments in life and you know having um I
- 00:50:10worked with a therapist for a few years
- 00:50:12she was a high performance coach but we
- 00:50:14did a lot of like psychology and she was
- 00:50:16amazing one of the things she taught me
- 00:50:18was having a cookie jar which is
- 00:50:20effectively your photo album of winds or
- 00:50:22a guest a few weeks ago called it a book
- 00:50:24of winds so have those things where you
- 00:50:27track and you look and you have that
- 00:50:29activation to be like what am I going to
- 00:50:31be proud of myself for today this week
- 00:50:33this month yeah but I think this is a
- 00:50:35beautiful place to leave our
- 00:50:36conversation I've really really enjoyed
- 00:50:38our chat we could go on for hours
- 00:50:39honestly this will not be the last
- 00:50:41podcast so thank you so much for your
- 00:50:43time and I'm so looking forward to
- 00:50:44seeing what then this year and Beyond
- 00:50:47brings for you thank you so much for
- 00:50:48having me and I've absolutely loved this
- 00:50:50conversation thank you for your time my
- 00:50:51pleasure thank you
- Nimi Meta
- Voice Layer Theory
- Public Speaking
- Media Career
- Self-Awareness
- Visualization
- Emotional Resilience
- Assertiveness
- Personal Wins
- Podcast