Why Networking is the Key to Growing your Business in 2024 - Part 1
“If you meet somebody for the first time, there are three things that you want them to go away with. You want them to remember your name, your business and what it is that you do.”
In this two part episode, I’ve invited back to The Future-Proof your Business Podcast the brilliant Vicky Labinger, the Fairy Godmother of Networking and the founder of the Get your Network Working Programme.
Vicky is a mum, wife, master to Bucky the black lab and a business owner. Vicky has an Interior Design business which we chatted about on episode 36, called My Claybrick Home. But since that conversation in the spring Vicky has launched her new business under her name: Vicky Labinger.
In part one of this episode, we have a great conversation about the rollercoaster ride of running your own business, the continuous learning and development that’s key to growing and future-proofing your business and the importance of staying ahead of the curve and on top of new technologies.
We chat about how the real value that you can offer your clients comes from your years of experience, the different paths and all the people you meet along the way. As Vicky says, she is exactly where she needs to be. She just wishes she was 10 years younger, maybe 20 because there's so much still to do.
And so if you do nothing else today, go and take Vicky’s quiz and share with us your score and your networking personality type, you’ll find the link below:
Vicky Labinger Resources:
Get your Network Working Programme - https://vickylabinger.com/get-your-network-working/
Take the Networking Personality quiz -
What's your Networking Personality Type?
https://www.instagram.com/vickylabingerltd/
https://www.facebook.com/vicky.port.7
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-labinger/
Lucy Rennie Resources:
https://www.iamlucyrennie.com - free downloadable resources, other episodes and more information about how to work with Lucy.
Join my mailing list -
Join me in my membership The Future-Proof Club®️ here -
Come and join me and lots of other small business owners like you in my FREE Facebook group:[
-
SPEAKERS
Vicky Labinger, Lucy Rennie
Lucy Rennie 00:00
Hi, and welcome to this week's episode of the future TV business podcast and Lucy Rennie. And this week, I am absolutely thrilled to pieces to welcome back the absolutely brilliant Vicky Labinger.
Lucy Rennie 00:15
If you've been listening to the podcast for a while you'll recognise Vicky, she was on episode 36. And we had a brilliant conversation about all the other sort of the things that go on behind the scenes when you kind of leave in the corporate role and when we're going into running your own business and all the things that come with that. And but Vic has come back today. And it's exciting really to hear about where she's up to and watch the her plans are. So for those who don't know, Vicky, Vicky is a mum, a wife, a master to Bucky, the black lab, and she's also a business owner. And Vicky has got an interior design business, which again, we talked about in episode 36 called My Clayburgh. Cone. And but since that conversation in spring, Vicky has launched her new business under her name, Vicky Labinger, and having come out of a corporate career at age 50. And even just over the last I don't know, time we've been together. Well, we've been known each other back, isn't it? We've seen you your business has evolved. But particularly over the last three years since you started. And I know it's been a, you know, a roller coaster ride, which is tends to happen when you are a business owner. And in her own words, Vicky says she's now ready to get off the roller coaster ride and has a clear plan of action for 2024 and beyond. And so, in today's episode, I'm very excited because we're gonna be really diving into this. And I'm gonna let Vicky share more about it. But there's a reason why we're also recording this today so that we can get this out in the next few weeks. And let Vicky really share more about her plans and what she's up to and how she wants to really help you guys, business owners and people to connect to network and to use the power of people Lego that's me on my soapbox all the power of people I'm scrolling that one down.
Lucy Rennie 02:08
And I know that Vicky and I can talk for hours so I'm excited to see where this is gonna go today. Because yeah, it's it's always a real joy to chat with Vicky and and to kind of connect and we actually met in person as well didn't mean over the summer.
Lucy Rennie 02:21
So yeah, welcome Vicky to the podcast, again.
Vicky Labinger 02:30
I'm good. Thank you, we did meet in the summer. And it's always it's always
Vicky Labinger 02:34
the right word. It's always really good fun when you meet somebody that you've been chatting to that you feel like you know, but you've never actually met. And I guess that's what a lot of COVID did for people we started connecting with people that perhaps we were following, or we did a bit of work with, but then you really find out that I am five foot one and a half or five foot two, as I tell my husband and you know, we find out what each other is really about and what's really likes it was yeah, it's lovely to meet you in the summer at that day event. And that was a I guess that was a kind of a pivotal moment for me on getting off this roller coaster because it was at that point, I was really doing some kind of deep work about what I wanted to do next. So yeah, perfect timing to meet you
Lucy Rennie 03:14
know, it was definitely and like you say it's it was it's surreal, isn't it because I think COVID Definitely brought that where we've actually been creating relationships with people and meeting people and really, you know, kind of amazing that they actually deep relationships with people where you feel like you've known them for years, whereas actually you haven't actually met them so yeah, and it's kind of that there's just something special about actually meeting someone in person isn't it in real life and in 3d and seeing
Lucy Rennie 03:44
what
Lucy Rennie 03:46
I've got
Lucy Rennie 03:48
so ya know, that was really cool just to have a hug as well I think
Vicky Labinger 03:52
so, and meet some lovely ladies in your community as well because such a great community of people in they're all from different walks of life all with different challenges personally and in business. So just yeah, really nice to meet everybody and in that and help where we can because that's what I'm all about at the end of the day. kind of help people get the most from their business.
Lucy Rennie 04:13
Yeah, definitely. And we share the love for our new toys, didn't we? I Remarkables that are kind of changing our lives.
Vicky Labinger 04:20
Yeah, you just got your son Yeah, get on with it.
Lucy Rennie 04:22
Yeah, love it. I love it. Yeah, it's it's amazing actually how how quickly I've embraced it and how it's changed.
Vicky Labinger 04:31
I was changing tack very slightly I was sat at a networking event last week where I am an ambassador for the group which means I go along on a regular basis and and help people that are new to networking get get what they need from it. And I was sat next next to a very
Vicky Labinger 04:47
it's got a very thick Irish accent a builder. And he kept looking over at me because I was scribbling my notes on my remarkable and at the end of the meeting, he said What on earth is that? And I think by the end of it
Vicky Labinger 04:59
need to be on? I need to be on commission because by the end of the conversation, he was online ordering himself.
Lucy Rennie 05:05
Well, you know what? That's so funny.
Vicky Labinger 05:08
I forgot you put yours I forgot. Yeah.
Lucy Rennie 05:10
And it's been it's such a conversation starter. And I'm sure we'll talk about that kind of thing. But actually, it's been brilliant. And yeah, I agree. I think we need to find an affiliate link. Don't wait for it.
Vicky Labinger 05:20
But knowing they don't even sell them on Amazon, I think we've pretty much got no hope on that one. You can only buy them from remarkable. So yes, if anyone wants a new gadget for their Christmas list, Lucy and I highly recommend eight remarkable, which is a paper like Notepad
Vicky Labinger 05:38
documents.
Lucy Rennie 05:39
Yeah, it's kind of a perfect mix, isn't it for those who like scribbling and paper and having you know, taking notes, but the fact that then it's, it's always with you? Yeah. And it's digital. So it links with everything. So it's kind of you save time in the sense that you can make your notes directly and then email and can't you to the client or to you can if your writings good enough.
Vicky Labinger 06:03
Have you? Have you tried converting it to text?
Lucy Rennie 06:05
Yes, it says.
Vicky Labinger 06:09
I mean, I as somebody that is also a designer, I mean, I've just been at a client's this morning, and I was sketching out what I was trying to describe to her well, then my sketch wasn't brilliant on a particular wall. So it's great for stuff like that, because I can sit draw, and straightaway, they can see what you're after. So yes,
Lucy Rennie 06:28
yeah. And there was no, yeah, there's no notification, you know, if I get distracted, can you but I found I play with the fact that it is my handwriting. So I've made templates that I then send, and I write a little template as I go along, which is written and done. And then I'll kind of write nicely ish on there and legible enough for somebody to read. It's quite quirky, I suppose having it handwritten. So yeah, yeah. Anyway.
Vicky Labinger 06:58
Remarkable. I'd forgotten you for that, though. When you just literally just said it delivered. And yeah,
Lucy Rennie 07:03
yeah. And Emily's got one as well. You know, he works.
Vicky Labinger 07:07
She will. Emily, I think Emily had ordered us by the time I'd leave the room.
Lucy Rennie 07:14
So yes, um, it's just really nice to have you back on the podcast. And in this sort of season two of the podcast as well, I think it's nice to be kind of delving in and kind of going into maybe deeper into different topics and things as well. So having Vicki here today is great. And I want to really, I'm dead excited about this. Because I've seen Vicki talk about this topic and sort of share, I think that day even in August, wasn't it? You were mapping out, you have post, it's everywhere galore. And you were kind of interviewing people. And you know, I'm sure we'll talk a bit more about that. But it was it was really nice to see just how excited you were and how your eyes were kind of sparkling at the idea of all this? I think it was
Vicky Labinger 07:59
no, it's definitely definitely caught me on a sweet spot, moment of realisation of doing something, something that I hadn't sort of considered doing. But it was, is a big passion and a big love of mine. So you've got me on a good day?
Lucy Rennie 08:13
Yeah, no, it's good. And I think that's it. So as I said, in the we mentioned in the in the introduction, so you kind of, obviously, you had an amazing corporate career, which we've talked about previously, and then you've pivoted into running your own business. And then we kind of were coming to, I know, we'd already had conversations about where what that looked like, and you were already sort of thinking about, you know, because I think that's you don't when you especially you and I were always thinking about we always, always. And so tell us a bit more than about this new business, and how it's come about? And sort of Yeah, the story behind it and kind of help us catch up to where we are today.
Vicky Labinger 08:57
Yeah, well, I am, nine months out of a corporate job. I started my interior design business. And I had a realisation that I could do more than one thing, which was a bit of a light bulb for me. But when you've come out of a regular paying job last Friday of the month, for every month for like 30 odd years, I never really considered I could do more than one thing. And I had a bit of a lightbulb moment to go. I don't just have to be an interior designer, I could do something else as well. And so I tried some different things. I tried some do some mentoring with interior designers. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. So I did some work, which helped them and helped me to figure out what I wanted to do. But I was I know I was really lucky to be able to have time and space to test what I wanted to do and how that really resonated with people.
Vicky Labinger 09:54
And that's really part of my business. That's kind of morphed so when I set up my claim back home. As an interior design business, there was a real backstory behind that. So if anyone was to listen to my backstory, go listen to episode 36. Listen to Lucien all over again,
Lucy Rennie 10:09
our show notes, ease so where people can find it. Yeah.
Vicky Labinger 10:16
So there's quite a story behind why I called my business that. But when I started to think about a new form of business, I'd always shied away from not from using my name, because it's quite difficult to pronounce you do really well, because you get it right every time. But not everybody does. And I thought, now you know what, if I am going to go out as a business consultant networking guru, people need to know who I am. So yes, so the new business became under my name, Vicki lab. And just so there is yes, the very official business out there will pick you up and you're limited, which feels very weird at the age of 54. But it was really through testing out some new ideas and some new approaches that I came up with, like a framework for what I wanted that business to be. And at the time, I didn't really know how I was going to set that business up or operate that business. So that's where I then go to my all my peeps, peeps, all the people that I know for help. Yeah. But I think you're
Lucy Rennie 11:19
so good at that anyway, aren't you? I think that's what I've always loved about you is, is just not being afraid to ask questions, or test or try or kind of, you know, get feedback, or just ask people what they think or just that 100. You know, it's and that's a nice, isn't it? It's, you know, you know, when
Vicky Labinger 11:40
you're in a room, this just happened to me a lot in my corporate career, because I used to work for a software company. So there was a lot of acronyms floating around and a lot of jargon. And we would sit in a meeting room, and something would be said, and I had no idea what that meant. It could have been an acronym. So I'd always be the one to put my hand up and say, I'm sorry to be a pain. But would you mind just telling me what that stands for? Because I have not heard that before. And then I would scribble it in my notes so that I didn't ask the question again. But so many people around me either during the meeting or as we came out went, Oh, I'm so glad you asked. Because I was too afraid to ask it didn't want to say so I'm the one that's always happy to look like a numpty because I feel like if you don't know something, you're not going to learn unless you ask the right question. So I guess that's always been part of my DNA really, to if somebody says to me, you don't understand it doesn't make you stupid, or thick. It just means that, yeah, they've perhaps gone off on another tangent. And I'm often having this conversation with designers. When we talk in our lovely, lovely language of 3d visualisations and mood boards and fabric specifications. And like people don't the general public do not understand when we use that language. So we need to be really careful about how we talk. Yeah,
Lucy Rennie 12:56
it's great. And I think, you know, there's two things that well, there's loads of things we can pick them up, but just the fact that at school share in the fact that it's okay to not know, do you know, actually, you can't know something that you can't know, do you know, that you don't know? And have been it been? It's almost like, people don't want to admit that they don't know something. And I think it's actually it's really brave to be able to put your hand up and say, Actually, I don't know. And I think there's a lot of respect, actually, that comes from that. Yeah,
Vicky Labinger 13:20
I think so. Yeah. I think a lot of people see it as bravery to be like, Oh, my God, you were so brave to put your hand up. And I don't know whether there's something just that's slightly wired differently with me. And I'm like, it doesn't feel brave. It just feels like I need to know the information to be able to make the next next best decision. That's right, whether it's for me or my business, or something I'm working on. So yeah, I'm always I'm always the pain that asks all the questions.
Lucy Rennie 13:44
But I think as long as it's kind of its goes with that sort of thing. You know, it's okay, even like, if somebody asks you a question, to be able to say, I don't know the answer that, but I'll go find out, or I'll go, you know, it's that, isn't it? It's just being able to do it. So yeah,
Vicky Labinger 13:57
that's an interesting one, actually. Because that used to happen a lot. So whether I should put this on a recording, you know, I would be at quite a big clients, and the client would ask a question, and it would be very much I have no idea the answer to that question. But the answer was always, you know, that's a really good question. And you're the first client that's asked me that, I think A, B, or C, but I'm gonna go and check that for you. But the thing would be to always make sure you went back to them. So even though you didn't know, even though you didn't know the answer to the question, as long as you went back and clarified, it was always good. So I am a big believer in don't, you know, there's only so much you can get away with with if you don't know the answer, then you go and find the answer and communicate it as quickly as you can. Yeah.
Lucy Rennie 14:47
Yes, and kind of agrees with you, Mike.
Vicky Labinger 14:49
I can see that I can see you in the background. I
Lucy Rennie 14:53
just spoke to him. I don't know what it is. But no, I agree with you. And I think it's something Yeah, I'm always kind of Yeah, I think it's how you manage it, isn't it? It's like you say going quickly responding and go finding the answer or going coming back. And you know, it's yeah, it's it's really important, but I wish Yeah, I wish that's something that I think we need to share more. It's almost like making mistakes are okay. Isn't it as long as you Yeah, kind of, you know, you learn from it and you move forward and things. And sometimes things can go wrong, but it's how you deal with it, which is what you're saying. So anyway, we've gone off on another tangent, but go I'm
Vicky Labinger 15:26
pretty numb for us. I
Lucy Rennie 15:29
love it. Yeah. Again, this way we can talk for hours can't be? Yeah, it's good. But yeah, coming back to. So we were talking you were talking about how you've now moved along to thinking about this new idea. And using your name as well as your brand for the second business, which I did want to touch on? Yeah. What's the difference? Then? Why is it feel different using your name, rather than a brand name, like my clay brick house, what was different about it?
Vicky Labinger 16:00
I just I, it's funny, because I used to have a consultancy business years ago, which was my surnames, port, Royal consultants. And that felt that felt fine as in surnames. Because port was my first Mac, first married name, and royal was my maiden name. So it was kind of a combination of two. And interestingly, again, it was kind of an homage to my net, my surname, which my dad gave me, which is kind of where my labour camp comes from. So I don't know if this this whole connotation with my family and the history, but I didn't I just I added, I just feels really weird to go from Essex having a business that's her own name. But I want people to know, it's me. And not be, you know, it'd be something that means I mean, doesn't mean anything. Like if you saw my clay brick comb, you were like, well, what, what type of business is that? I think it's, you know, good can be the same with a name. I don't know what it is. It just feels weird to have a business in your name. Do you not feel that with your name? Yeah, no, 100%? And that's why I'm asking the question, because I mean, I am a grown up, I'm, you know, I'm 50 Plus, that sometimes I don't feel like a grown up. Maybe that's what it is. Maybe I'm still Vicki that, you know, we'd get told off in class because she'd be chit chatting or not causing trouble because I was a good kid at school. But, you know, the only time my name was really called that I was in trouble for something. Yeah, it's
Lucy Rennie 17:26
true. And I think, because you know, me, I'm always on about the kind of people behind the brand. And so making it really personal and all that fit. But there's something about putting your name to it, which I know, I'm sure we talked about this as well. But that shift from corporate suddenly, it's about you and I will come on to this actually, I think in the discussions we're going to have about how actually it's about the difference between kind of going and promoting somebody else's business when you work for a corporate but then actually because it's your business and your net. Yeah, something changes or I found that, you know, I can remember the first networking meeting I went to it. Glossop Cricket Club, it was a women's networking meeting. But it was the first time I was still breastfeeding. And I had, you know, I got in the lift and at Siena got MILCON and sad. Me I was first I'm not one flip flops for six months. And I was kind of stood in there to trembling saying this is who I am and what I'm doing. And, you know, I'm used to speaking in front of 1000s of people in French and then this tiny little room. Yeah, really, you know? And I think it is because it was me and my business and my brand and my name not, you know somebody else's think so that's why it's interesting, isn't it when that juxtaposition of actually, yeah, we want to be off and own the brand and things but actually, it's kind of brings another dimension to it as well, doesn't it? Which
Vicky Labinger 18:44
is yeah, you are I mean, you are There's no hiding at this point. There's no going Oh, it's you know, I'm just part of another business. I'm a you know, I'm, I'm just a small player in another really big cog of a wheel. Now, it is my business and it you know, it's me, I am a solo business owner owner working with a couple of you know, outsource outsourcing a couple of bits and pieces, but it is me and therefore it is my name. And maybe I haven't maybe he hasn't tweaked with me yet, but I feel right about it. It just for me, it's more than this pronunciation of my surname that, you know, I still thank my husband for blessing eight years married last this week, and I still thank him for that surname.
Lucy Rennie 19:24
Yeah, yeah, it's such. I can't speak because I get called antastic. You know, people have all sorts of things for me with indigestion and all sorts of things. So I don't think we're ever happier with it. But anyway, I'm always kind of hearing more about the story that and where you've come from. So you were you this is what got me going, wasn't it the fact that you were asking your people what they thought and what the feedback was and how you kind of went on about it and move forward with it. So what happened next then what how did you kind of take Get to the next stage. What was the next part of
Vicky Labinger 20:02
it though I just something different for me, normally what would happen is I would get an idea. And I would just start to run with it. And I would, you know, find myself down a rabbit hole of activity and work and kind of over engineering ideas and scribbling on my big whiteboard. But I actually, for the first time in a long time actually thought, Well, no, hold on, let's plan this out properly. Let's really think about what it is that I want to do. And I and I knew I needed help. I knew I didn't want to Well, like when I set up my favourite comb, I did exactly that I decided I was setting up an interior design business, I did everything I needed to do and kind of went off in a direction. And I'd got onto a bit of a roller coaster. And I decided that that's not how I wanted this new business to be. So I reached out. And I've got a big network, I reached out to as many people in my network as I could for help. So I've got a fantastic accountant called Dan, who bless him, I do ask some stupid questions. Sometimes, he's very patient, and he will always give me the right advice that I need plus a little bit extra. And then he goes off on one and I don't understand him, and then I bring him back. So that's good. You know, I reached out to people in my network for really practical stuff like website design, writing, copy, creating branding, rather than sit there and squirrel away trying to do all that stuff myself. I actually utilised an amazing group of people that I've connected with over the last couple of years, to actually help me build my business. And what's interesting is, those guys feel really invested now in what I've done, because they're kind of part of the journey and the story, which is really nice. So whenever I do pick up the phone and say, I've got a really stupid question, can you help me with this? They're like, yeah, what are we up to next? How's it progressing? What are you moving forward? But they also know that I look out for them. So if there's things I can help them with, you know, it's very much a two way street. So yeah, rather than just go down a rabbit, Warren, and, you know, pop out the bottom and think what was I doing again, I actually used my, my network to help me figure out how the business was gonna hang together. I kind of knew what what I wanted to offer as part of the services. But it was how I was going to put those services into practice and the help I need you to do that. Yeah. Always reach out to people I sitting in a shed at the bottom of the garden five days a week you do. Yeah, you will, I will always reach out to people because it can be a lonely place sometimes. Yeah,
Lucy Rennie 22:41
you're particularly good at it on you. And what really you're describing is engagement and all that, you know, bringing people with you, isn't it and getting them involved in that reciprocal two way thing, which is the essence of business and people. Yeah. So it's just a so yeah. And, and love. Yeah. And I've written here, you know, is surrounding yourself, isn't it with those white people, but then actually, bit sometimes just actually being? Letting people in I think is a scary thing for a lot of people and actually sharing ideas with them, or asking for help or admitting you don't know, something, or all those things we've just talked about. So I think that's really nice. How did what we've not heard, though, is you? What were the You said you'd had in your head what you wanted to do, how did that evolve from being an interior designer? So tell us more about how you work that bit out? Or what that was? Because that's a big thing in itself, isn't it in terms of goes back to that always thinking? You've not? Yes, that was the big thing was becoming an interior designer, but then actually, you realise there was more to it than that. And that's kind of where this came from, isn't it?
Vicky Labinger 23:50
Yeah, yeah. So first of all, I've really started to work specifically with interior designers. So I realised I could take what I knew from the business world, and help interior designers on their own business journey. So I wasn't helping designers with you know how to put a great design together or you know, what the right shade of green was or where you buy your fabric samples from, but it was more around how they set themselves up as a business. And so offering some different services, whether it was in a kind of group environment, or you know, first look or one to one mentoring a different types of workshops. So I started in very much in my field, and I, I guess there's a level of safety in that, in that. I knew a lot about business. And I'd learned a lot about interior design in a very short space of time, and I'm married the two together, so it felt pretty safe. It didn't feel like I was putting my head too far above the parapet to be like, Oh my God, it's quite scary out there. But at the same time I have and I still have a community that I, I work with on a regular basis to help them with their their designs, that I, having had a, you know, a bigger conversation, I realised that there was more to what I was doing than just the interior design work. And I think that's been quite a difficult decision for me because I started, you know, I came out of corporate and I started a business, and I set my stall out. And it's like, I've, I've set myself in a direction and off I go, Is it okay to then change direction? And I, I fought with that for quite a long time in terms of No, I said I was going to do this. And I am a bit like that. If I say, I'm going to do something, I do it. Is it alright to change. And I couldn't figure that out on my own. And I've had to get someone else to help me to figure out that it was actually okay to change direction and do something new. Yeah,
Lucy Rennie 25:53
that's really interesting. Because it's such a good point that we do, don't we, it's almost kind of you think once you've set down your mark, and that's where you're going, it's kind of sticking to it, and you don't want to be solid, wrong or anything. Whereas actually interesting, actually, as, as you were speaking, then I've actually written down, listening, and noticing. And actually, so the fact that for me, I think that's what it is about future proofing your business, you've got to keep listening and tweaking. And, you know, and noticing where the what people need from you and what how you can add value, isn't it? And it's almost the opposite. Now, I think there's something really valuable about actually being agile, and moving your business in the right way or in a different way to meet where you know, meet your clients or the meet the demand where it is. So yeah, it's really interesting how that can shift. Yeah,
Vicky Labinger 26:43
I don't I'm not sure there's a one size fits all model. Yeah. No. I mean, I used to work in fashion retailing, and it's part of corporate and we'd always have products in that, you know, well, one size garments. And it would be like, Well, yeah, it's either going to drown somebody or it's going to be a little bit tight. It's a one size fits all. That's certainly not what I'm seeing. Every kind of proposal I put out to a client now is, is bespoke to what their needs are, because it's about listening. And actually, one of the things that I've done more recently with proposals I'm writing is is my first section, going to reference it's a continent, what a chord, it is my like, what I heard section, and it's playing back to people what they're saying. And it's, it's been really interesting, because people have said to me, is that what I said? I said, Well, yeah, cuz that's what I wrote down. And they're like, oh, and it's the first time people themselves have verbalising, what it is they want, and therefore, that's what I'm hearing, and then I'm playing it back to them. And they're going, yeah, that is what I want. And so that's been quite an interesting dynamic, but I've never been very good at listening. So I'm trying much harder at it.
Lucy Rennie 27:53
You know, it's, it's, it's really interesting. So when I did my coaching, qualification, enjoying COVID, one of the big aha moments was that was actually just being able to really, really listen and real and notice how, how crap everybody is listening. And that actually, no one really does listen, you're only listening really to speak back or to share your thing or to wait and to kind of, and so to really, there's a book, in fact, I'll pop it in the links called time to think by Nancy Klein. And it's all about creating that safe space for people to think so the fact that if you've got someone listening to you, who you know, isn't, isn't listening to speak again, but is actually just holding that space and just actually giving you space to, to listen, and to think it's amazing what comes out and how you can act. It's just, it's, it's incredible. So it changed my life, actually, that so that's just coming back to that. I think that's what you're doing is actually you're giving people say, a safe space to kind of share their ideas and do and then you're reflecting back, which is it's amazing. So yeah, so I could I could speak for weeks and weeks and weeks about the power of listening and wants, you know, and you notice in groups or conversations or meetings, just how little people listen, even at family, you know, even just like, at home, with your husband or whatever. And the fact that you know,
Vicky Labinger 29:20
you're not did not just want to walk around with a roller gaffa tape. Safe people that Be quiet. Yeah, yeah. But then on
Lucy Rennie 29:28
the opposite side, when you actually seriously sit there and sit your mouth up. And like even uncomfortably sometimes just really not reply or dive in. You can see what it's amazing the impact has on people when they actually realise that you're not going to dive in and they can just hold the thought and think for a minute and then something else will come. Yeah, you know, it's amazing.
Vicky Labinger 29:52
I mean, that's that. If I think about it now that's, I guess what happened to me in a role reversal kind of way. I just really bizarre to think about it. Now, when I did some initial work with Zoe, which was when I kind of figured out what I want to do now and how I'm going to take this forward into 2024, and 2025, she, I have, as much as I've got an amazing network, I will go to my network and say, I need help with A, B, and C. And depending on what field of business people are in, they'll go, I can help you with a, b, and c, here's the answers you need. Off you go. I needed a space where there wasn't necess, I wasn't necessarily going to go with the questions. And I certainly didn't know the answers. And that was when I spent a day was every day that she started asking me questions. And I would go little rabbit off. But she was watching and listening to what I was saying, but also how I was emotionally when I was talking about certain subjects. So at that time, I was, you know, really fighting about what I was going to do with my interior design business and what to go away, do next. And she asked me a very pointed question about a topic we were talking about. And I was like, Oh, my God, you know, when you have that moment, where you think, why is it taking somebody else to figure out what I need to do? I should have known that all along, and you kind of beat yourself up for five minutes over and then you're like, because you're so stuck in the weeds all the time. You're not necessarily figuring it out. But by her listening to me and giving me space to kind of blurt out everything I needed to say helped me then figure out what I need what I was going to do next and what I am doing next. Yeah,
Lucy Rennie 31:40
yeah, it's powerful stuff, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's really good. So yeah, I'm on a mission. Well, I'll share the link to the book in the in the I've written it down, it's gonna
Vicky Labinger 31:49
put it on a Christmas list. It's,
Lucy Rennie 31:53
yeah, we'll do that. And then we'll come back on in January when you read chapter. Because yeah, we'll just we'll record a silent
Lucy Rennie 32:08
Yeah, definitely. Yeah, so I'm just that's one other thing I wanted to pick up on. Because I've written here as well, you said, you talked about when you made the shift, and you started helping interior designers with their business, you said it felt safe to do that, because you were in your kind of area that you knew, and it was business that you weren't, you've kind of you were putting your head above the parapet, but it wasn't too far, you carry out what you were saying. And it's really interesting, because, again, I think that's something that we don't give ourselves credit for when we think about actually the expertise or experience and things that you've got enable enabling us to be able to, you know, support you're like you're doing supporting your clients with all the business acumen and knowledge and experience and all those things. But actually, that's what makes you you, and what adds the value is the fact that you've got all that background, and you've got all that knowledge of business to be able to apply it to interior, is that kind of like it's no brainer, isn't it that you'd be able to yeah, I've never run a business before. It's, I always had it this way, I had a bit of a moment of self really where I kind of went, you know what, actually, that's probably why I do work in industry and manufacturing a lot. And because what makes me a bit different to maybe other people who come out of marketing school or income school, because I get what an ISO accreditation is or what it is. Or I understand, you know, stupid things that we just take for granted. Whereas actually, unless you've been in that industry, and you know what it is, and you've kind of seen it, and you So yeah, that's it, I just wanted to share that. I think it's
Vicky Labinger 33:40
the language that we talk about the challenges that we have, you know, even down to when you have a tricky one, you know, the conversation got caught off in his head is should I sack my client, because class can be tricky. When you're working with people in their homes. It can be tricky. And so there are being able to have that empathy of, I've been there, I've got the t shirt. I know what you're talking about. This is how I handled it. This, you know, because we've all been through, you know, whatever our pricing structure needs to be a difficult client, you know, being ghosted by people that want to do work, but then don't get attached. You know, we've all been through the mail and I just can put a spin on it for them. That means I've I've been there. I've done that. I've got the t shirt, and I understand what you're what you're going through. Let me help you get through the truth. Yeah,
Lucy Rennie 34:36
yeah, it's exactly that. And I think sometimes we don't put in a value on that or we don't recognise the value in the fact that we do know that industry from the other side or we do know you know, that yeah, that it is there and that you can actually yeah, it makes it Oh, not necessarily quicker, but it means that you can you can really go deeper into a topic because actually you get it and you can understand it and
Vicky Labinger 34:57
yeah, it's really interesting. Actually, I've just picked up a As part of my kind of business consulting side now under Vicki lab injure, I've just picked up a new client that she's got a really strong and established business. And I sort of been honest and said, you know, you're doing a really good job I can, I can tinker with it with you. But that's not the value I'm going to bring. But she also wants to launch a e commerce business, for I won't say too much, because it's all in the all in the building and the planning, but she wants to build an E commerce business where she's selling a product and creating a brand, while I worked in E commerce sales for the most part a corporate for 15 years. And it's just really weird that we've connected and she wants to build this business. And when I wrote all a list of all the things that she needed to think about, she was like, Well, how did you know this? And that, because that's what I've done. It's coming back to my roots. Again, I do think we come full circle eventually, don't worry. It has nothing to do with interior design. But it's you know, it's how to build a brand, put all your operations together, what's your customer service is going to look like, where you're going to source your products from that that was my background for many years. Yeah, to be coming full circle on that now just feels really weird. But that's, I guess, using our experience in the right way. Yeah.
Lucy Rennie 36:19
And it almost goes back to talking about our brands in the beginning, you know, how we're saying about being owning it and our own brand. Because I think sometimes when we start something we can have, You've almost got a tendency to kind of go, I'm starting with a clean sheet. So forget what I've done, because this is new, baby, you know, it's a whole new thing, whereas it's not a total. That's rubbish. That's what it what makes it work is the fact that you have got, and we can say that because the age that we are, but we have got all that baggage and that, you know, roller coaster ride that we've been on
Vicky Labinger 36:50
wrinkles. Yeah, exactly. But that,
Lucy Rennie 36:53
let us embrace it, rather than being scared about it. Let's actually I think that's the bit where I'm forever trying to encourage clients to, to own it and think about it and then communicate that because that's the thing that's going to make them unique, that's their Lego bricks, that's the thing that's gonna make them fit with those people. And you know, that's the value that you're going to add. It's not necessarily the, the thing that people come to you for that is actually where they're going to see the you know, how they're going to see the results.
Vicky Labinger 37:19
So yeah, when I remember working with a lady, before I started my interior design business, and I used to say to I'm so annoyed at myself, I'm sorry, like, Why did I not do this sooner? Why did I stay doing what I was doing. And I loved my job, I didn't hate my job. I wasn't in a position where I was like, you know, it was terrible to get out. But I actually really enjoyed it. I just, it wasn't what I wanted to do for the next sort of part of my life. And she just she always used to say to me, she just so calm down back, she says you're exactly where you're supposed to be. You needed to have done all of those things before, to be where you are now. And, and it's really interesting. I, I hear a voice in my head every once in a while because I think this lady that I'm I'm working with around the E commerce business, you know, we would have probably never connected unless I'd gone on the journey that I've gone. You know, setting up an interior design business, joining a network, creating connections. Yeah, and all that good stuff. We've never crossed paths. So I am exactly where I need to be. I just wish I was 10 years younger, maybe 20. Because there's so much still to do. So much to do.
Lucy Rennie 38:27
And on that note, Vicki, I think we're exactly where we need to be to. I'm with you on that. I wish I was 10 years younger, too, because there's so much that I want to do. And that's what's exciting when I'm chatting with you because this year we sort of seem to be bouncing ideas off each other, don't we and and know that we're? Yeah, we've both got heads buzzing with ideas. And I know there's there's so much more for us to chat about today. But I think actually we need to let our listeners maybe get some work done or get on with their day. So I'm going to break here and end part one of this wonderful conversation. And I invite everyone to come back and listen to part two and hear more about Vicki's new project, which is all about becoming the fairy godmother of networking. So please come back and listen and tune in to part two of this conversation with the brilliant Vicky Latvija thank you so much for listening