Welcome to Small Enterprise Snippets, the podcast from SmallBusiness.co.uk. In the present day’s visitor is Sally Gunnell, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and former skilled athlete.
We focus on the transfer from sport into enterprise and the way older enterprise house owners can deal with their wellbeing.
Hearken to it within the media participant under.
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Sally Gunnell podcast transcript
Howdy and welcome to Small Enterprise Snippets, the podcast from SmallBusiness.co.uk. I’m your host, Anna Jordan.
In the present day we’ve got Sally Gunnell – entrepreneur, motivational speaker and former skilled athlete.
Born in Essex, Sally truly began out as a pentathlete and lengthy jumper at her native girls’ athletics membership. Over time her expertise for hurdle occasions turned obvious, profitable her gold medals and championship titles internationally. The truth is, she’s the one lady to carry World, Olympic, European and Commonwealth Gold medals unexpectedly.
After retiring in 1997, Sally turned a part of the BBC Sport group and was an everyday on athletics broadcasts within the early 2000s. Since then she’s appeared on breakfast tv reveals in addition to A Query of Sport and Complete Wipeout.
Today she runs Sally Gunnell Company Wellbeing to encourage wellbeing within the office. She additionally runs Optimise Your Age, giving well being and wellness tricks to the over 50s, alongside her husband Jon.
We’ll be speaking about shifting from sport into enterprise and the way older entrepreneurs can deal with their wellbeing.
Anna: Hello there, Sally, the way you doing?
Sally: I’m very nicely, thanks. Sure!
Anna: Nice!
The primary level I wish to speak about is you shifting from sport into enterprise. So how did you come to that call? What sort of challenges did you could have going from sport into enterprise?
Sally: Yeah, I imply it’s all the time a troublesome one while you retire and I suppose it’s troublesome while you’re solely 27 years outdated. You’re younger and also you’ve had one profession and it’s most likely the profession that you just’ve had all of your life, and then you definately suppose, “What do I do subsequent?” So I suppose I kind of did it in a method that I’d have executed with my athletic profession. I needed to know what I needed to realize on the market. I needed to have aspirations for brand spanking new issues, I needed to study new issues. So I deliberate it, virtually. However yeah, I imply, I look again now and I believe it was a little bit of of venture. You’re not fairly certain the place you have been going with it. However truly, it made me realise simply how a lot I’d realized from my athletics days and my achievements, and the way a lot of that it helped me to that subsequent stage of my profession, however have the ability to cross that on for others. And I believe that that’s what got here out of it. And that’s what helped to make it as clean as potential.
For lots of athletes, there appears to be a development from sport into enterprise. What sort of issues did you’re taking from the monitor into enterprise?
Sally: I believe a lot of it’s about, sure, you’ve set to work exhausting, however you’ve set to work sensible. A variety of it’s in regards to the kind of issues that appear so insignificant, virtually, for companies or no matter, but it surely’s about being one of the best model of your self. What you eat, your sleep, the way you train, it’s all about your individual efficiency, and whether or not that’s efficiency within the office or efficiency with your self at residence, and the way that may provide the confidence ,provide the means, and all these kinds of issues. They have been kind of like the true space, and I suppose a whole lot of it was about self-belief as nicely.
That was most likely the turning level for me, as a result of I most likely wasn’t probably the most assured of individuals when it got here to athletics and acting at that top degree, however I overcame that. And I believe a number of the classes that I realized and who I chatted to, and the way I work that into myself, which made the distinction changing into a excessive efficiency and to have the ability to give individuals the arrogance to have the ability to exit and obtain what they will all obtain. That’s actually the place it got here from. I believe it actually helped that I achieved at that top degree. So, you went by means of so many ups and downs, and I realized a lot about myself, and I believe that basically helped to have the ability to share and clarify that story to individuals.
It surprises me that you just mentioned that you just’re not assured since you strike me as someone who may be very assured. How did you develop that going into the enterprise world?
Sally: A variety of it’s about mindset, it’s about what you consider. I believe it’s very straightforward. I believe as a nation we’re, particularly girls, we’re very fast to place ourselves down and suppose that everyone else seems to be good, or “I’m not ok.” That’s very a lot how I used to be, like most likely plenty of different individuals, however I’m working with sports activities psychologists and understanding how the thoughts works. Confidence comes from inside. You’ve bought to seek out confidence, you’ve bought to close the demons up and override it. A variety of that turns into a part of visualisation. It’s a part of mentally getting ready your self, work that you just do day in, day trip to be a greater model of your self. It doesn’t simply click on in a single day.
I believe it was that the facility of accepting that we do lead demanding lives and working at that prime degree was demanding, but it surely typically could be a good factor and to make use of it as a motivation as nicely. Simply so many key areas that correspond and I believe the synergy between performing inside the office and being one of the best individual you might be is so just like that that sports activities area of reaching when all that always looks like all the things we do – so many odds towards you.
Oh, 100 per cent. I can think about there could be some sort of problem between performing particular person occasions on the monitor, after which having to work as a group on enterprise unexpectedly. How did you deal with that?
Sally: Yeah. Although I used to be very a lot a person on the monitor, it appeared prefer it, it was very totally different to a soccer area or no matter else or my relay or being captain of the ladies’s group. Really, there was an incredible group of individuals behind me: nutritionists, sports activities psychologists, physiologists, coaches. That was the distinction of the 4 years from coming fifth within the Olympics to profitable was constructing this superb group round us. Numerous individuals have totally different objectives inside their groups, and that’s the identical in an organisation. It’s about figuring out that you just want their help, you want their assist, you want their expertise to get one of the best out of your self and the enterprise that you just’re doing, to realize what you’ve set your self. So, it’s no totally different in that respect. Although I used to be the one on the monitor, there was an incredible group of those who bought me to that begin line.
You all the time overlook that there are such a lot of individuals behind an athlete. There’s additionally this rush to check your self to direct opponents and different entrepreneurs. I perceive it was within the Tokyo Olympics the place you have been doing the hurdles, and also you’re in your option to the gold, and you bought distracted by one among your opponents and it threw you off, and sadly it value you the gold medal. How did you’re feeling in that second? And how much classes did you study from that?
Sally: Yeah, I imply, I believe I realized enormously. I used to be clearly massively dissatisfied, as a result of I may have received that. And I believe that’s when it made me realise that I didn’t win as a result of I used to be worrying about issues which are out of my management. I didn’t have that kind of actual confidence in my very own means. I suppose that the entire psychological aspect of it solely actually got here on a yr earlier than these Olympic Video games the next yr. So, that was a World Championships in Tokyo, and actually 12 months later, I’d spent 12 months addressing that doubt. And boy! I all the time say that we’re all born with that inside voice and it’s all the time a voice that kind of says. “She seems to be good over there in that lane” and “She’s received the European Championships.” That’s how I did and naturally, you’ve bought to have large respect in your opponents. That’s the identical within the company world. Yeah, you possibly can study sure issues, however I can’t change these conditions. So, why spend that power and that fear and making an attempt to alter one thing you can’t? You’ll be able to solely management the controllables, so it was about blocking out all these kinds of issues.
That’s when it comes again to figuring out what you’re making an attempt to realize on the market and having readability in your ideas in order that while you’re in your path, and also you’re not going to get distracted by over right here, and what you’re going to stay to and what that finish result’s. After you have that in your thoughts then these different distractions are in a position to be blocked out throughout these occasions. So, yeah, it was about spending time doing that. It doesn’t simply occur. I’d spend 5 minutes every day simply kind of going by means of what I needed to execute on that day, what was that excellent race and totally different eventualities – if issues went mistaken, if it was raining on the day or it’s a troublesome lane. It’s simply acquainted within the thoughts, actually, and I believe typically in numerous organisations or inside sport, you suppose it appears like a damaging, however I believe it’s important to have each possibility open, however you already know what it’s that it’s going to truly to take to realize that greater degree.
I believe that’s a part of purpose setting as nicely. It’s figuring out what you need, however with flexibility. On this case, it’s a literal ‘sticking in your individual lane’ while you’re competing.
I believe that psychological well being and its significance to efficiency has turn out to be so nicely recognised. I’m certain all through your profession, and particularly now trying again. It’s the identical case in enterprise in addition to you’re very nicely conscious by means of serving to firms with their worker wellbeing programmes. Inform us a bit extra about what makes a very good worker wellbeing programme.
Sally: I believe a wellbeing programme must be one which may be very a lot put collectively for the workers’ wants. It’s not only a one-size-fits-all, it has to actually recognise it in what the problems are inside the firm, whether or not that’s retention or whether or not that’s making individuals current in what they’re doing. Possibly there’s some well being points or no matter it might be. So, I believe it’s actually about discovering out what they do, that scoping work in the beginning, and actually discovering out what the problem is and what individuals truly need.
Then the programmes that work are those which are led from the highest down. It’s no level in simply doing a wellbeing programme for one a part of the corporate. They’ve to have the ability to see the highest managers being a part of it as a result of they want it simply as a lot as everyone else and to be a part of that programme. Then it must be constant. It’s not ok for those who’re simply going to do it annually or a few occasions a yr. The programmes that basically work are those which are constantly being put in and knowledge and assist and help is recurrently there and folks know the place to go. They know the place to faucet into it and to have the ability to ask for assist as nicely. I believe they’re the programmes that basically work.
I believe that with all programmes there’s so many alternative points that folks can cowl inside wellbeing. I do know that for the time being, it’s very a lot round psychological well being and placing First Aiders in, however individuals have all kinds of various points round wellbeing. I believe it’s about addressing plenty of totally different areas, whether or not which may be monetary, whether or not which may be bodily, there are simply so many areas and I believe it’s making it proper for that organisation.
In your expertise of speaking to organisations and staff, what areas do you’re feeling are missed, typically, in these sorts of programmes?
Sally: I believe those that the programmes that for lots of firms we come throughout, they haven’t bought a programme, they actually may tick just a few packing containers, by means of HR or no matter else. However lots of people inside the organisations don’t really feel like they’re being supported, they don’t know the place to go, if they have psychological well being points, or no matter it might be.
I believe with what’s occurred within the final two years of the pandemic, individuals working from residence or speaking in regards to the psychological well being points, the arrogance, and I believe, a whole lot of organisations individuals working from residence, it’s discovering methods of with the ability to attain out to individuals. It’s about constructing resilience, however while you construct resilience, you wish to just remember to’ve bought the items in place to have the ability to assist individuals construct that resilience, whether or not that’s work or whether or not they’re in their very own life, as nicely. For lots of organisations, it’s typically constructing that resilience piece is difficult – if there isn’t a water station close by, or there’s not a park to have the ability to get out to, or they don’t really feel as if they will simply take a lunch break, all these kinds of issues are simply so essential for individuals’s wellbeing. That’s why it must be led from these prime and that data is there and help.
Typically what I discover is that persons are simply missing that data – they wish to be higher, they wish to assist themselves, they wish to be fitter, they wish to know what it’s, however they’ve by no means had that kind of data. It’s about giving individuals the data and the help and the way they get out, get that help from these organisations.
We’re speaking on-line sources – or members of employees that they may converse to – the place do they search this data?
Sally: There’s all kinds of various retailers, relying on the organisation. We’ve bought on-line programmes that we do, that are rather more round podcasts that we will roll out to totally different individuals. However as persons are getting again within the organisation, they wish to see face-to-face, it’s serving to and supporting HR to have the ability to ship that data, as a result of each organisation has alternative ways of delivering it. It may be that it’s a website that sits in your intranet to data within the bogs. That it’s simply discovering what works for that organisation.
A variety of the programmes that we’re doing, we’ve got been doing for the final two years, have been clearly very a lot on-line, they’re podcasts and so they’re assist and help. So, organisations can run them actually worldwide to each single individual inside that organisation, 1000’s of individuals as a result of they should, they will’t simply help one group, it has to have the ability to roll out. So, that’s actually helped us as an organisation to have the ability to attain as many individuals as potential. I suppose, by doing that on-line and placing these programmes in sport, they’ve workbooks that they work to, and every month, we’ve got a unique topic relying on what that organisation could also be. That may be round vitamin, sleep, finance, the bodily aspect of issues. That’s designed round what that organisation wants.
Fantastic. This can be a difficult one, due to course, you possibly can measure issues like turnover and your forecasting figures, however how do you measure the success of an worker wellbeing programme?
Sally: Nicely, that’s why we actually wish to do the scoping beforehand. We ship out questionnaires to individuals in order that we will get what individuals’s actual points are. Then on the finish of a programme or six months by means of, we’ll then ship out questionnaires to truly discover out whether or not it’s reached the fitting individuals, whether or not it’s helped and supported them. We are able to then ship again data to these organisations, as a result of that’s the greatest factor we’ve come up throughout. However we would like to have the ability to see that change. By doing this, whether or not that’s each six months or in the beginning of a program, after which on the finish, we will see how individuals have engaged within the programme, and whether or not it’s truly helped and supported them. Very, very key.
After all, the boss’ wellbeing is as essential as the workers’, particularly as they become older. What sort of ideas do you could have for older entrepreneurs to deal with their very own wellbeing?
Sally: Yeah, I believe that it’s individuals realising you can’t simply maintain going at 100 per cent. It’s positive for those who’re in your 20s and 30s, but it surely does meet up with you. And it’s the identical for all of us, isn’t it? So, I believe the factor I’ve realized is that, sure, it’s important to work sensible, after which work sensible, then how vitamin and your sleep and the bodily aspect of it might have an effect on your efficiency. That’s about pondering clearly, not having that dip within the afternoon, not being off sick, all these kinds of issues.
I believe the factor I realized from sport, and that I attempt to cross on to whoever actually, in an organisation, no matter age you might be, it’s these little increments that you just suppose are so insignificant, however truly, they play a significant half in with the ability to work day in, day trip.
I believe with a lot of stress and burnout, however stress is a part of individuals’s lives, but it surely’s studying handle that. I believe as we become older, it’s about understanding that, truly, you want to get out of the workplace or get out of, you’re at residence, and taking that lunch break. If you want to go residence and go to your child’s sports activities day, or no matter, it’s all these little issues, which appears typically so insignificant, are literally issues that basically play a significant half in with the ability to work. And that’s the place it must be led from the highest, it’s good to go off to the fitness center at lunchtime or to go for an train or stroll with someone, to have the ability to chat along with your colleagues or no matter it might be. It’s simply permitting individuals to have the ability to suppose that that’s the norm. And that’s what it’s okay to do.
Yeah, completely. Right now, particularly with what’s occurred over the previous couple of years, I imply, it’s, it’s a primary alternative to actually make these adjustments, as a result of the way in which that we work has essentially modified.
Sally: Completely. I believe now an organisation has to take a look at wellbeing, it’s so excessive on the agenda. I believe it’s greater than ever and it’s giving individuals the arrogance to get again into the workplace. I believe that typically the youthful era, they’re in and so they’re positive. However as we’ve all bought used to working from residence now, it’s having that confidence, and that typically comes from help from the organisations to have the ability to try this. That comes underneath HR and wellbeing on the identical time and figuring out that you just’ve bought an amazing programme in place with those who perceive and an organisation that understands that will help you to have the ability to help you.
Anna: Unbelievable. Nicely, that looks like an amazing place to wrap up. Thanks very a lot for approaching the podcast, Sally.
Sally: Beautiful, thanks very a lot.
You will discover out extra about Sally at sallygunnell.com. You too can go to SmallBusiness.co.uk for extra about office wellbeing. Bear in mind to love us on Fb @SmallBusinessExperts, on Twitter @smallbusinessuk (all lowercase) and subscribe to our YouTube channel, linked within the description. Till subsequent time, thanks for listening.
