Founder@ Interview
Interview with Francesca McGarey
Credits : Little Tipple Productions https://www.instagram.com/little_tipple/
“Start by saying yes to the nudges, whispers, and maybe even loud bangs from within. Entertain the ideas, the notions, and the feelings. Believe you can. ” – Francesca McGarey
Today we feature Francesca McGarey, the founder at Francesca Elizabeth Williams. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.
Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?
With over a decade of global expertise supporting the minds and businesses of entrepreneurs, HNWs & CEOs at some of the world’s largest organisations, including Google, my work is primarily focused on empowering others to become the leaders they were born to be through a blend of mindset and business strategy.
I help people work to through their limiting beliefs to turn the ideas and dreams that are etched onto their hearts and minds, into tangible digital business solutions. Through a combination of mindset and business strategy, my clients are able to make money from a place of purpose and connection to themselves, whilst using technology as the vehicle for scaling and growing the world of their business.
I do this through my soul-led entrepreneurs business training academy, “Human of Soul Entrepreneurs Academy” and digital production agency, “Wellbeing Productions” which is a globally conscious agency that offers sustainable, human-centered design practices, and ethical solution based digital solutions for wellbeing professionals, creatives, and lifestyle entrepreneurs.
A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?
My corporate background is in marketing, running digital campaigns and production for large international events, targeted at commercial, private, and entrepreneurial sectors.
I’d been inadvertently running a social media agency from 2010 working with clients to help them set up their digital channels, create and share their voice, and manage their digital campaigns.
I always knew I had an urge to express myself which manifested itself through words and imagery across the digital sphere, but I also came to realise how much I enjoyed doing it for others too.
My corporate career saw my work across the fashion, advertising and tech industries.
In 2015, I got really sick whilst working at my last corporate role, call it a spiritual awakening, soul evolution or a mindset shift, but I knew I could no longer continue operating at the pace and from the place I was. Burnt out, overwhelmed, stressed out and with zero work-life balance, I decided to leave. This statement in itself makes me laugh now that my next logical step was to become an entrepreneur.
Over the course of the next few years, I studied a multitude of courses from different wellbeing modalities, psychology, business innovation and digital practises. I always knew my work combined a more holistic approach but it took me years to piece the puzzle together of how that fitted into the digital landscape.
Now, my businesses are very much guided by the concept of inside-out leadership. It is my belief that in order to become the leaders that we’re capable of becoming, that we must first work on our mindset, whilst also incorporating the right strategy, systems, and processes to grow and scale businesses that provide solutions to some of the world’s largest problems.
This combination of masculine and feminine, yin and yang, and momentum and flow, are the foundations for the modern digital leader.
Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?
The Human of Soul Entrepreneurs Academy is an entrepreneur’s business training academy that incorporates mindset and business strategy for growing and scaling digital businesses with soul and purpose.
The world is changing, and with that, the digital landscape is accelerating rapidly. We need more innovators, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs than ever before. We specialise in working with wellbeing practitioners, creatives, and lifestyle entrepreneurs helping them to build an eco-system of support and business solutions targeted at growing and scaling impactful businesses with soul and purpose for the future.
We are based in London but operate globally.
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Wellbeing Productions is a globally conscious digital production agency that offers sustainable, human-centered design practices, and ethical solution-based digital solutions for wellbeing professionals, creatives, and lifestyle entrepreneurs.
We are based in London but operate globally.
What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?
I always consider myself and my businesses a work in progress, so to me success is something that is constantly changing and evolving.
Being committed to showing up, doing the inner work, and understanding who I am as a leader and business owner has been transformational in terms of knowing my own triggers, beliefs, and shadows, and being curious to work on them has enabled me and continues to enable me to get out of my own way. I think awareness is key.
I always say you can’t run from yourself when you run your own business as all of your limiting beliefs, stories and narratives come to the forefront asking you to look at them more deeply so you can continue to navigate the space and move forward in both life and business.
When we first start working for ourselves, we often go from very corporate and structured ways of spending our days with clear expectations set out for us, but when you become an entrepreneur you have to work out how to schedule your own time, manage your mental health, and drive everything forward, it’s not something we’re taught at school, and it’s something that holds a lot of people back from thinking they’re not cut out for entrepreneurial life.
We have to learn these skills and it’s largely trial and error so it’s incredibly important to surround yourself with people who have done or are doing similar things to you.
In the digital space, there’s a lot of fear around being seen online, fear of putting ourselves out there or fear of getting it wrong.
It can be paralysing. Things really clicked into place for me when I stopped thinking about what people thought of what I was doing, sharing, and putting out there, but instead focused on being of service. When I put myself in my ideal client’s shoes and asked myself what problems do they have that I know I can provide solutions for. If you make it about being of service and the solutions you provide, it’s less about you, and more about you being the vehicle to express and provide that solution.
The ego cares for fear and what people think, when you’re guided by intuition, gut instant, higher self, or just an inner knowing when it comes from an authentic, real and connected place to your purpose rather than just a push and panic to get a sale.
Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?
My biggest lesson has been willing to fail, to get it wrong, to start over, to say yes to being a beginner. Learning something new or navigating new terrain is uncomfortable and challenging as it calls us to question ourselves, our motives, and our strengths.
Being willing to learn, not have all the answers but try anyway is and always will be my biggest lesson.
This has manifested itself in a multitude of ways over the years, for example, when I was stuck in fear of momentum and being visible in my business, hiding behind the mask of, “one more course” thinking that would be the one thing that would launch my business into the next stratosphere.
I was continually looking for what I thought was missing that would give me the expert title in order for people to assign that title to me, but it was only when I realised I didn’t need to wait for someone to give me a badge of honour and to come back to that place of being of service, providing solutions and creating real transformation in my client’s lives that the fear and worry melted away. I had been trying to run before I could walk.
This mindset shift is something I’m really passionate about helping other people work through as it’s something I see a lot, so we work on it in the Entrepreneurs Academy Mastermind Programme which is a 90 day entrepreneurial business roadmap.
Now, if I find myself lusting over courses, workshops or CPD’s, I have to stop and ask myself, is this coming from fear and a place of lacking, or will this truly help my business and my clients with the next step of business evolution.
I think if you love learning you’re always going to be an eternal student of the universe, and that’s great, but it’s also key to being able to discern is what is driving you to keep doing courses and understanding why.
1. Mindset is everything.
2. Business systems, processes and automation are a part of the puzzle but they’re not THE puzzle.
3. Without a strategy, plan and goal in mind you won’t have a clue of where you’re going or how to even begin getting there. Get super clear, intentional and create your dream business.
If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Stay in your lane, back yourself, and listen to your gut instinct. ALWAYS! Let your internal compass be your guide and try to block out the noise of the naysayers and anyone who makes you feel less than, not good enough or what’s the point.
You have to believe in yourself, work out how you can continually stay believing in yourself – it takes work, it’s not a one-time ticked box. Get to know yourself, sit in the space of stillness, and peel back the many layers of you. It will make you more connected, grounded, and purposeful in your own life, but also as a leader and business owner.
We’re nearly halfway through our interview so it’s a great time to ask how does your business run. What three tools make your business run better?
1. Google Drive – I couldn’t work without it! I might be biased having worked at Google, but my Google drive is like my brain. I’m in and out of Google drive all day with the team and with clients.
2. Buzzsprout for podcast hosting – I love the simplicity of the interface, it’s user-friendly, the soundbites you can create of your podcast episode are fab for social media, and the guidance and advice they provide for helping you create and grow your podcast is incredible.
3. Kajabi for courses – It’s super easy to use, the end product looks amazing, and the learning materials to help get you started in launching your courses is second to none. I’ve used MembersVault and Thinkific over the years but found my home in Kajabi for its functionality and service.
What do you know now that you wished you had known before?
1. Mindset is everything.
2. Business systems, processes, and automation are a part of the puzzle but they’re not THE puzzle.
3. Without a strategy, plan, and goal in mind you won’t have a clue of where you’re going or how to even begin getting there. Get super clear, intentional, and create your dream business.
Credits : Little Tipple Productions https://www.instagram.com/little_tipple/
What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?
The Human of Soul Entrepreneurs Academy has recently been nominated for Podcast of the year, which is super exciting. On a day-to-day basis my greatest and proudest achievement is always seeing the look on your client’s face, seeing the transformation, feeling it, and being a part of the process. There’s no better feeling.
What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?
It’s a bit cliche, but I’m going to do a Ted talk, notice ‘going to do’, calling it in! 😉 I’d love to share my thoughts and beliefs about the importance of sustainable, human-centered design practices, and ethically based digital solutions.
I’m also writing a book, called “Why We Post – Social Media: A Modern Mythology” which is a personal development book designed to deepen the awareness and understanding of the construct of social media through the lens of social anthropology, psychology, and modern mythology.
Filled with tools, tips and strategies to help life amongst the filters, FOMO, and likes.
My drive is and always will be to help others realise the power of their dreams, and the potency of what they put their minds to in order to achieve their business dreams, so for me, doing a TedTalk, writing a book, running the entrepreneurs academy and production agency are part of the vehicles which enable me to do that.
I’m sure there are many other ideas, platforms and ways of expression which will continue to unfold as and when the time comes.
Credits : Little Tipple Productions https://www.instagram.com/little_tipple/
To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?
Start by saying yes to the nudges, whispers, and maybe even loud bangs from within. Entertain the ideas, the notions, and the feelings. Believe you can. Say yes.
You might not have it all worked out yet, but you just need to listen to that voice inside that says there’s a different way, a different path for you. Don’t push too hard. Let the life that is working its way into your consciousness unfold, let it surprise you, be guided by your intuition and gut instinct, and don’t be afraid to say no to anything that doesn’t align with that.
You can be a bada$$ entrepreneur and still be filled with passion, purpose, and soul.
“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and Francesca Elizabeth Williams”
To learn more about Francesca Elizabeth Williams Visit https://francescaelizabethwilliams.com/
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