Fantastic Female – Rebecca Lockwood
FANTASTIC FEMALE – REBECCA LOCKWOOD – Neuro Linguistic Programmer and Breakthrough Coach.
I have a business that trains hundreds of women in Neuro Linguistic Programming and Breakthrough Coaching. My business is on track to turn over a million pounds in sales in this tax year and this is a goal I have had since I was 13. My mum would tell me stories about what she would do with the millions of pounds if she won the lottery. At the age of 13 she would tell me these stories. I decided that I wouldn’t leave it to something outside of myself and I would take action myself and become a millionaire by the time I am 30. I turned 30 last July and my business so far has done half a million in sales this year, and by the end of this tax year we will have done a million pounds in sales. I have done this whilst bringing up my two young daughters who are 3&6 years old, working a 3 day work week (most weeks). I am proof that as a mother and a driven entrepreneurial individual you can do it all and be it all without compromise.
FANTASTIC FEMALE – REBECCA LOCKWOOD – Neuro Linguistic Programmer and Breakthrough Coach.
How did you balance being a mother and professional? (don’t worry if you are not a mum, just miss this question)
Balancing being a mum and being a high achiever has been something that I have found a challenge throughout motherhood. My highest values are my career success, and my family which can conflict sometimes leaving me feeling guilty in both cases. Being a mum really is the most important thing in the world to me, and I also perceive that being successful is what makes me a great mother and role model to my daughters. The typical definition of being a mother needs to be redefined. It used to be believed that as a mum you would look after your family through keeping a clean and tidy home, making sure dinner was on the table and your husband and kids had their needs met. This old world view of being a mother sometimes leaves me feeling guilty because this is far from my own reality and my perception of what a good mother is. To me and in my reality a good mother is a role model for her children, and leads the way. Keeping a clean and tidy home is still met but through the help of a cleaner, making sure dinner is on the table is met by investing in help from a chef, or food delivery to make life easier. The only way I am able to balance being a good mother, and pursuing my success is by asking for help and investing in help from other people and ensuring my husband and I are 50/50.
What have you sacrificed (both personally and professionally) at each stage of your career?
When my first child came into the world I still felt like I worked a lot and even though I worked for myself I still spent a lot of time in the office. Before she turned one I knew that this wasn’t how I wanted life to be. I felt like I wanted to be there more for my baby. I worked for myself but I didn’t take any maternity leave. I just got on with it, working from my hospital bed. It was very unhealthy and I suffered severely from PND. When I had my second child I knew I wouldn’t do that again. I changed my business and built teams of people around me and delegated. I made my income work for me rather than me working time for money and was able to take time off and work very minimal hours. I actually did take a few weeks off and then very slowly eased my way back into work. I reduced my working weeks to a 3 day work week which I still do even though she is now 3 and will continue to do until she goes to school.
Who inspired you and why?
My mum is my biggest inspiration. She taught me that you can be a mum and be driven and not have to compromise. You can be career driven and still support your family and watching her single handedly support us growing up at the same time as working made me see that it is possible.
What advice would you give to young women who want to succeed in the workplace?
- Be intentional about what you want and do not let people sway you.
- It is ok to change your mind, just ensure that it has come from within you and not something externally.
- Work hard and expect to work long hours but always look for the easiest and most effective way of doing things.
- Read good entrepreneurial books (more stories about other successful people than ‘how to’ books – although how to books have their place too)
- Surround yourself with people who will support you and find a mentor
- Work with a coach when you know you are capable of more – don’t try to go it alone, you will fast forward your success with the help of a coach as a good coach will help you unlock your potential and fast forward your success.
- Educate yourself consistently on what will help you succeed and never undervalue the value of education through books, podcasts, youtube and online courses. Education didn’t mean college or university for me, and it doesn’t have to for you either.
FANTASTIC FEMALE – REBECCA LOCKWOOD – Neuro Linguistic Programmer and Breakthrough Coach.
Do you think women feel intimidated in business?
I think sometimes women can feel intimidated in business depending on a few things.
1. Who you are surrounding yourself with.
Be aware of who you are surrounding yourself with and how they are making you feel.
2. Limiting beliefs.
If you have limiting beliefs about yourself around not feeling good enough or not feeling worthy of success then it is likely you will feel intimidated in business.
Where will we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.?
On the sofa with my kids or taking my kids to a dance class.
What do you love about your job?
I love delivering my training courses and seeing the light bulb moments that go off in my students minds. They all tell me that the training has changed their life.
What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made?
Leaving a job that had no progression prospects.
What’s the worst career decision you’ve ever made?
I think every choice I have made has helped me get to where I am now.
How do you organise your time?
I delegate as much as I can to my team and then see what else I have left to do. The first thing I do each day (when I am not training) is go through everything we have going on, check in with my team and ensure that I have as little to do as possible. I found that when I just stick to the roles in my business that are within my zone of genius I am the most effective, the business grows and my team can help me.
What do you think is your greatest strength?
Delegating to others and not holding to emotions around making sure everything is perfect. I always believe that done is better than perfect and action rather than inaction will go far.
What do you think is your greatest weakness?
Not thinking I have any weaknesses – seriously.
How do you make decisions?
I ask myself – what is the easiest and most effective way to do this? (usually it is delegating things to my team)
What do you read?
Stories of entrepreneurs and educational content that will help me with my current goals. My favorites at the moment are shoe dog, Banking on it, The Alchemist, Profit First, The E Myth, Chillpreneur.
What do you think are the secrets behind getting to where you’ve got to?
Determination and not putting too much meaning to my failures. Just taking imperfect action. Delegating to my team. Not taking no for an answer, ever. Understanding that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback. Allowing myself to hire a team and only focus on my zone of genius in my business. Understanding that if something isn’t working, then I can just change my approach and try again, until I succeed. Being intentional about what I actually want and then visualising it daily as if I already have it and taking inspired action daily.
FANTASTIC FEMALE – REBECCA LOCKWOOD – Neuro Linguistic Programmer and Breakthrough Coach.
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