Ep. 60 - Create Your Own Path with Elizabeth Ellery
Transcript
0:03
Welcome to the push or pivot podcast, a podcast that inspires you to trust yourself in the crossroads of life. I'm your host, Thea Charles. As a life coach. I know that when you put fear aside and trust yourself, you'll know when to push through adversity, and when to stop, reassess, and pivot. I believe magic happens whenever a push or pivot story is shared. And that magic is exactly what you'll find here.
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Elizabeth Ellery is a photographer, website designer, mentor, and fashion industry insider who's launched two successful businesses, and now uses her skills to help entrepreneurs build the perfect personal brand online. In this episode, Liz shares how she realized she could do anything she put her mind to.
1:05
Well, welcome. Welcome,
1:07
Liz to the push or pivot. I am so excited to have you here today. Have you been?
1:14
I've been really good. Actually, I've had a really, very busy week last week. And today's just been a really good self care day for me, which has been great.
1:25
That's awesome.
1:27
I'm excited for everyone to learn about you and your crossroads. But before we start, can you tell us a little bit about yourself.
1:36
So my background is that when I was you know, 13 years old, I knew what I wanted to be. And I wanted to be a fashion designer. So I was very driven. And I did you know, went to the college, the university. And I am and I got into I got a job in fashion in London. And I stayed at the same company for 10 years. And it was just such a wonderful experience because it was quite a small business. So it was high end and we sold Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus in America and then Harrods and Selfridges in London. And when I was there, I did a little bit of everything. So I was designing the clothing, I was designing the textile prints, I was creating the content and designing the content for our email marketing. I was designing the website, I was doing bits of photography, it was just little did I know it was so set me up for my business today. But I I was just yeah, wearing lots of different hats. So that was, that's my background. And today, I was looking for something a little bit more. It wasn't quite what I wanted. And I've now set up a business. And my business is personal branding for female entrepreneurs. So I help women that are either thinking about leaving their jobs, and they want to start, you know, from a really great place of having their photos, website design, their copywriting, all of that stuff. So it's like a little boutique agency of doing all the all the things and yeah, that's what I do now. And sometimes it's also for women that are looking to uplevel. Maybe they've grown their businesses growing their clientele, half the prices have, but their website and branding don't reflect it. So it's also for that woman as well.
3:30
Yeah. Well, I certainly can relate to that. Yeah, a lot of listeners can. How did you pivot from the fashion? No, you said that you had a lot of different hats. But what prompted that change? Well,
3:47
I read them, I read a book and it just knocked me on my ass. It was life changing. For me. I remember I was at sample sale at my work. We we had head office in London, and we didn't have a shop, it was all online or through wholesalers. And we had a sample sale and one of the customers came. And she was um, from a financial background. She was like vice president of a investment firm. And I remember thinking, I don't know anybody like you. And all of my friends were creatives. They were like, Pete, NPR or graphic designers, other fashion designers. I don't really know anybody like her and we hit it off. And then she said, Why don't you come in? We'll go for a drink one one time. So we went. You said I feel like you're very positive personally, but you're, you seem a little bit low. You should read this book. And I was like, okay, and it sounded It was like a self help book. I was like, No, I'm not sure about this. And then she was like, No, we'll all the top CEOs, they read personal development books, they're always looking to develop themselves and I was like, Oh, okay. And I think if anybody else had told about this, I wouldn't have ever read it. So I think sometimes it's the when the students ready the teacher appears and yeah, so I read this book, and it was Jensen cherry, you are a badass. And I know a few people whose book whose lives have been changed by that book
5:16
as well. Really? Yes. Oh, my goodness, I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't read that book. Right. It's amazing. Yes. Yes.
5:25
How funny. Oh, nicely. I did it nice. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I read,
5:31
I'll let you finish and then I'll tell you my site.
5:33
Okay. So um, so I read that book. And I remember being on the bus home, and I'd saved it for like, New Year, you know, New Year's after Christmas, I was on the bus. And I was reading this particular chapter. And I thought, Oh, my gosh, I don't have to do this. Can I can do and be whatever I want to be. And that was just my mind was blown. Because I just thought, No, everywhere roads I'd seen and where how I grown up everybody, you went to university or you left school at 1618. And you did the same job, you didn't deviate? My family were the same. And then so then I was like, Okay, well, maybe I'll be a textile print designer, rather than a clothing designer. So I actually ended up doing her eight weeks to badass course. And I think I was one of the last people to do it live before she stopped doing, you know, the q&a calls on it. And, and I thought, well, that's going to be my, my badass goal is going to be to become a print designer, serendipitous moment, again, I met up with a friend had a tech company, and I said, you know, I'm doing this course, and I'm going to be a print designer. But I also want to talk to you about maybe I want to maybe create an app on the side that has positive affirmations come up that I design. And she's like, well, that's going to cost this much. Why don't you make phone cases? So that was also an idea. I said, Okay, I'll do that. Why don't you have that as your eight week goal, because you can do the print sign anytime. So that was it. Then I'd like in eight weeks, I taught myself calligraphy. I designed these cases, got market research, what quotes, then I am, I got them sent off to China, I got the samples back at a friend that was a stylist at the time for Harvey Nichols. And that's Porter. So she styled it, my friend was a hand model. So she was holding on phone cases. At the time, I wasn't doing as much photography. So the photographer in the fashion business came in and did the shoot for me. And I created this brand. And then I got into national magazines, I got into the Cosmopolitan. And it was successful. But I also knew I wasn't gonna make much, you know, I'd have to sell vast units of this to leave my job. And my heart wasn't in selling a product. So I knew there was something more for me and what I enjoyed was building the brand. And for 10 years in my business, I'd seen my boss who was the name of the company, go from behind the scenes to social media and being front and center and how her personality was so key in attracting and loyal fan base. Because you see, artists and musicians and actors, they have fun basis. But in the clothing world, they've always been a bit behind the scenes. So it was such an eye opener for me and realization that, Oh, this is actually a thing and people you know, that have service based businesses, they're they're the business they are a personal brand. Everyone has a personal brand. And I remember looking for a coach. And Janet released your about us and making money. And she was coming to the cane I thought I have to meet her. A friend of hers was hosting a lunch, which she'd never done for 30 people. And I thought I'm going to that. So I went to it, and the woman that was hosting it. I started researching her. And she became my coach. She was Jen's accountability buddy. On a coaching program. They've done you know, the really big coaching program gender, that was her accountability, buddy. That became my code. And that was three years ago, and I've had coaching with her for a little bit, went off again. And now I'm doing a year long package with her. At the moment. I'm just over halfway through. And what happened was, when I went to that event, there was a few people that I started following on Instagram, and one of them was a personal branding photographer and being in the fashion Well, I had no idea about this stuff. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I can do that. I can totally capture them. And when I was looking for a coach, I didn't connect with any of these coaches that I was googling that were local to me and so I can help these women. That's what I'm gonna do. And that's what I did. So I now, you know, capture, I photograph women, I am able to get like that the essence of them across like their best version, you know, like, if your friend takes an amazing photo of you, you've got even more professional, hundreds of those photos, then also having somebody that's invested in you, that really wants you to do well, because like, I'm really all about women empowering women. And so that's what I do as well is like, you know, I help them with their offers a little bit and get clarity on that, because it's when you're doing a website, sometimes you're not 100% sure, especially if you're beginning on what that looks like. So like, I'm really passionate about that. And I'm actually just creating a new offer where I'm getting SEO experts and marketing experts to offer their services, it will be a big package. But what's really funny and why. And what I was really intrigued about, I really wanted to be on your podcast was the pivot thing. And it's when I was in my old job, I was seeing all of my friends that had been to university done fashion too. So I noticed that when I, all of my friends, they were all niching. And they were all going up in their chosen field. And their salaries were increasing. And, and I was, you know, my salary had increased a little bit. But when you stay in the same company that's very small. They're not ones to give you huge promotions. And that was part of that one of the reasons as well, by now I wanted to, I knew I could earn more. And by setting up my business, I did that. But I was saying it's really nice. But I was really enjoying my job. Lots of them was stressful, stressed. And I just remember, like, I loved going to work. I never had a awful feeling my stomach on a Monday. So I really enjoyed it. I just knew there was more for me. But what what happened is I remember watching a Steve Jobs, gave his commencement speech at Stanford. And he talks about connecting the dots. He said that he dropped into once he dropped out of college, he dropped in on calligraphy classes. And without having done that the the Mac would never have had the gorgeous fonts that it had at the time. So and you can only connect the dots later. So me, mine was all about. I'm in this business. And I'm learning how to do more photography, things. I'm learning about website design, and helping with marketing and content creation. And all of these things and seeing like this brand develop as well, is everything that I do in my business now. So it's not fashion design, the thing that I went in there for? Yeah, it's like all of the stuff that I remember, really being very resistant and pushing against. I'm like, I don't want to be a website designer. I don't want to do this. And I remember halfway through my working that just thinking, oh, I've actually got website design work to do. So I can't design the clothes this week. And so yeah, so it's, it's really interesting that sometimes if you're in a job and you you have a feeling well, I should be doing this, actually my heart set up with this, I think you need to start following your heart a little bit more.
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Have you been inspired by the story shared on the pusher pivot, but feeling a little stuck at your own Crossroads? If only there were a guide to get unstuck. Well, I've made one just for you. six steps to help you recognize what is keeping you stuck and push you out of your rut. You can access it for free on my website, fear rebel.com slash rut. That's th e a r e n e l.com slash ru T.
14:13
Like how you talked about the connecting the dots and you can't connect them until after you've gone past them. And that is so true. So I'll tell you a bit about my my gentians hero's journey. I know. Well when I saw that you wrote that I was like I have to hear the story. But for me, so I went to school for biology. And I worked in a laboratory that did organ transplants. And while I was working there, I needed something for my creative side and I don't know, you know, the kids were in daycare and I also need some extra cash. So I opened up a small boutique and I worked on my boutique on the on the side and you know as things got bigger, somehow this book came into my life and I don't Remember, I feel like someone had talked about it. And then I was like, you know, I, I like reading, and I haven't read anything in a while, I'm gonna get this book. And I just don't know what happened. Like I walked into a store inside. And I read the book. And it's like, Ah, so I don't have to continue to follow the same path that I felt like, well, this is what I should be doing, you know, this is when I went to school for this is where I should be going. And it took a while I read the book a couple times, I read the you are badass at making money like 1000 times, like I just, if there's nothing else, I just listened to that on my commute. And then I was finally I was ready. It was like, I wanted to know more about coaching. But I didn't know how to find anything about coaching. And then when like you said, when the student is ready, the teacher arrives. So when I was really ready to find a coach, because I was ready to leave the lab, and just be full time in the clothing. A friend of mine said, Oh, you know, I just saw this girl online and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, and there's my coach, you know, like, I found her. And that was the coach to help me once I had left the lab job and felt like I was pouring myself into this clothing. And I didn't know how to take a break. And I was like putting a lot of pressure on myself because I felt if it's my full time job now I should be like, working with her, I realized what coaches do. And I didn't because I didn't know. And I realized at that point, looking back, that the things I liked about the lab the most what I liked about the clothing business, and the interaction with my customers was coaching. And that's where everything kind of opened up from there. And then when I was ready for that a coaching program for heritage that was like what I wanted, and I even got a scholarship to go to it. And I was like, wow, you know, like I just, I was like, Yeah, I was telling my husband, I want it I think I want to do this program cost a bit. We'll see. And then like a moment later, an email came up, we're having our first ever scholarship. And I was like, we'll do this my scholarship. And then I got it. So it's so crazy. And I was actually able to meet Jensen zero for a moment, she had a book signing for her latest book, and she had come to the Boston area. And I was like I'm going so I got tickets. And it was just so nice to to meet this person that she didn't know that by writing this book, it just like sparked like a different thought process of myself that like kind of opened the world to so many things. And I mean, I don't think I would have been doing a podcast or anything like, you don't know, what brings you to where you're where your path is going. You know, it's kind of like, if you're to drive across the country, you don't necessarily know how you're going to get there. The headlights only show you so far. But once you get to that point, you're like, holy anymore, you're supposed to take that left turn. So yeah,
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I just I actually, I have one of my good friends, partners, like his wife, she read the book as well. And I didn't really know her and we met once an event and we were chatting about and she said, yeah, that book changed my life. She was she was a runner on a film set. And she had real hopes for like, being a director one day, and she read that book and choose I one day is going to be today. So she I think somehow she got together funding. And she basically, she directed her own film and did, you know didn't do all the steps that you think that you meant to think she was just like, I'm gonna have this big, massive goal. And that's it. And I think she got her film on like, the British film council or something, you know, the FBI or something like that. It's called, um, and it was just like, you know, we have no idea what we can do. No, you know, like our potential. And I think that's what she did. I feel like our podcast has just been a massive, like Jensen cero.
19:02
love fest in one.
19:05
And I think that she's probably must have saved money. And I just can't imagine the amount of lives that her book has touched. And hopefully, you know, that some you know, we both know you in my profession, I know that I'm helping lots of women with what I do. And the same with yourself. It's quite an amazing thing to do that her helping us has enabled us to help others you
19:30
know, it's a really it's a ripple, you know, like, once you do something, it goes out and even for her to write that book, which could, you know, brought us together here today about this podcast. And now someone else can be either inspired to write that book or to just to realize I don't have to do the should all the time. I can trust myself. And I think that for me, that was one of the biggest things that my zone of genius is something that comes easy to me it's not necessarily work doesn't always have to be Hard, making it something that you enjoy and that you love and that you
20:04
yeah to do. And it's just that feeling of is this really my job. And it's also that you, you know, for the people that want to be business owners or have their own business already, it's that freedom of dictating what your day is going to be like. And if you want to have some time off, you know, you can arrange that. And, you know, and it's also like, the, the, it falls the other way, sometimes of business, right? It means that you can have time off, and you might maybe have too much off or you don't have enough, and you've got to make those decisions. But another thing I just wanted to say as well, I remember, that's why I think coaching is so important. You know, I was a complete newbie to this very cynical to all and then I just jumped in with both, you know, both feet, neck deep. And I remember my coach and we had I had I, you know, I spent 1000s on this on my coach, it was my first coach I didn't even like lead up to it just thought start small. It was like a wateringly or sort of thing. Um, and I did it. I remember we we'd had a day together. And then we had some phone calls. Remember, I think I'd finished my round my package of calls. And she said, Oh, we still got another call my Oh, yeah. Okay. And then it was on that call that she said to me, Liz, if you don't leave your job, now, you will never leave, you will never do this. And I remember, I have my, my day with her in July 2017. And that last call was on in October. And I handed in my notice two weeks later, and I didn't have a website, I didn't have any clients. And, and I'm not, you know, that might be responsible for some people. And some people might not do it. But for me, there was no other option. And I was just going to make it work. And in my my first proper month of business, I call it because the first two was like the first one was me just taking the break, you know, from like, 10 years of working. And then the second I did a website for free for somebody like to get referrals and to like, get my design chops. So first real business month, I had my half yearly annual salary in that month. And it was, you know, and Jen talks about that in her book, you know, just make the decision. Yes, there. And it's, and it is like, you know, if you're like, it's not saying, you know, like when she says about getting credit card debt, if you're in debt, and then you get more debt. But if you're doing that from a place of like, Oh gosh, and you're not really committed, then that's a different thing to like, I'm going I'm doing this, and there's no other option, and it's gonna work. And if it doesn't work, I'm just what it will work. It will work though. I think for anybody that is worried, you know, I was in a job at a job for 10 years, the same one. Imagine how scary that was to leave. You know, it wasn't like I moved around. So yeah, I hope somebody listens to this, and follows their dream, like, like both you and I did
23:12
for sure. Yeah. Sometimes you just kinda have to rip off that band aid and when you know, you know, and it's very, I was terrified, like, how he's gonna pay for it, you know, like I was scared. But you're right, you have to give yourself that. One option is to do well, you don't have don't plan on like, if I fail, because you're just not making that as an option.
23:38
I've been listening to I've been running a lot recently. And it's funny, I feel like I'm in like, level season at the moment. I've just lost a whole bunch of way. I'm exercising more, eating better. All these things are clicking into pace. And one of the songs that I've been listening to, is lose yourself by m&m. And that you know, there's just that success is my only Baba blah, option. Failure is not you know, Mama, love you. But this trailer has got to go I can't go on and say limbs like, I don't mean to be rapping. No, no,
24:16
I, I know.
24:17
I like to buy. Like,
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there's no other option.
24:22
Sam. Awesome. So Liz, if you were to give someone you've given us a lot of advice, but if you could give someone one piece of advice, what would it be?
24:32
To Be brave, to be brave I most incredible things have always happened to me when I was brave, and I followed my heart. And the reason why I want to say brave to be brave, is that I remember going to workshop. It was nearly two years ago now in January. Um, and the woman said to us, I want you to pick off this wheel, a skill set, you know, like, maybe have three That you identify with. Now pick the one that you don't use very often. So I think mine was like humor, leadership and bravery. And I thought, well, I've not been very brave recently. So I thought I've not used that. So I did that. And then she made us all do medicine, you know, close your eyes, and picture, never ever being able to use that skill set ever again. And I just started sobbing. And I just thought, and I was just like, wow. And I thought to myself, if I could never be brave again, that would, you know, I'd be stuck. I'd be, you know, just coasting. Like, like, I felt like I was for quite a few years and in that same job. So that's why I choose bravery as the piece of advice, because I think, you know, what is on the other side of bravery, you know, scary, scary, but like, amazing things happen. And you know, and if you're brave, and, and something bad happens from it, you know, nobody died, hopefully. But you know, you've definitely grown, I think.
26:13
Yeah, that's great. Oh, thank you so much. How can people find out more about you?
26:20
So you can visit me on Elizabeth Ellery calm, which is a double dry. And you can also, you know, I'd love to any of your listeners on here, if there's any way that I can help. In some form, you know, maybe you're wanting to make the leap. And you want to talk to somebody or you're thinking about starting your business and you want help with branding. I'm actually putting together a workshop on for people that have no idea about how to find their branding how to stand out. So I'm doing a workshop on that. So you can just go on my website, and there'll be a link there. I'll have it as a recording that they can just download if they can't catch it live. And then there is you can also catch me on Instagram at Elizabeth underscore Ellery. And yeah, so that's how you can get in touch with me on or find me.
27:15
Awesome. Awesome. And that will be in the show notes so everyone can find you. Ah, Elizabeth, this was so great. And I really appreciate you being on the show.
27:25
Thank you so much for having me. And I can't wait to listen to more episodes. And, you know, weirdly, listen to my own. Thank you so much.
27:38
You're welcome. This was certainly a serendipitous conversation, all about realizing your gifts and using them while putting yourself out there. Liz pivoted to become an entrepreneur that helps other women stand out. I left my career and ultimately started this podcast. And Jen Sincero stepped out and wrote a book that influenced us and many others. All brave steps that create a ripple effect. How can you create a ripple effect in the world? Thank you for listening to the push or pivot podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button. And please leave us a review. To learn more about the show and to access the show notes. Visit our website, push or pivot.com I'd also love to hear from you. Share your thoughts and takeaways with me on Instagram at pusher pivot. Thank you for listening, and join me next time on the push or pivot podcast.