The Wise Why

Kirsty van den Bulk
Hello and welcome to the Wi-Fi. We’re a little late this morning purely because of technical issues. I’m just going to cover that off before I introduce my guest. When you go live, you need to be really close to your router if you’re gonna go wireless or you need to be connected to a landline and you need to be hardwired, it’s as simple as that. Yes, you can make it a power cut, which has happened to me, but you really do. It’s a bit of advice this morning. Make sure you close to the router because you need that wireless signal, but as usual, after I’ve done. My little speech there, The Wise Why? It’s not about me. It is about my guests. So, Joanne, over to you, please introduce yourself to everyone.

Joanne Baker
Hello, I’m Joanne. I am from emerald training and people development services and I’m literally at one stop shop for all your training and development needs. My I sort of tend to zoning with the care sector and hospitality and catering simply because it’s what. I know. So that’s me basically.

Kirsty van den Bulk
And you’ve been. You said you’re you’re quite new. I mean, this is amazing because I met you obviously networking and we instantly got on and there are, have there been many a day when I’ve been at a session training session or networking session where I’ve looked across the room and there’s a twinkle in your eye and I’ve gone Yep. You’re thinking the same thing as I am but you’re relatively new to business. So how long have you been trading?

Joanne Baker
So I started in October 22, became limited in November 22 as well. So so yeah, so it’s about, I don’t know, about 14-15 months. I I who knows about 18 months I would say and you know very steep learning curve.

Kirsty van den Bulk
On that note. As it’s a steep learning curve, what if you had to choose? Well, you can’t choose, so maybe there’s a. Couple but some lessons. That you’ve really learned along the way since you launched business because. A lot of people out there go who launching a business. It’s too much or they jump in like I did and then. You go ohh. Where’s my life ring? Ohh. Probably could have gone with some arm bands there. Have there been any moments along? The way like that.

Joanne Baker
Yeah, and. And that’s actually you’re right when you say where’s my life ring because actually it became very apparent that I couldn’t do everything, you know, and I started off trying to make my own website and I just had nightmares with it. And as it turns out, everybody hates it that platform anyway, so. And so all of a sudden. You know, I had to get someone in to do it, and that’s that’s something that I’ve learned on the ways I simply can’t do anything. I’m a, you know, it’s me myself and I. So therefore I do need sort of people that I can trust that can help me. So I have someone who looks after my who host my website. I have someone that does proofreading for me because I cannot tell you as much as I go through things. I can’t do it all myself. I have a wonderful accountant who feels a bit like a headmaster. But I found him and I gave him my cyber shoe box and he I don’t want him to retire. I don’t. I just want to lock him up and saying just keep me going. He’s been brilliant. But all these things I can’t. It’s not that I can’t do it. It’s just that I get overwhelmed. And when you start getting overwhelmed, you start sort of getting yourself in, in digging yourself into. The proverbial hole. So I think that’s one of the things you know and also do not underestimate the expense it takes it you know to to set up a business. I mean, I was lucky enough because I had well, unlucky, unlucky, lucky my mother’s inheritance. But I’ve kind of. So started eating into that and you got a bit scary how quickly the money goes and you know, networking is brilliant, but don’t expect to get any business to spend more money. We find good people. So. So there’s lots of things, you know, and I think. Yeah. And I think the biggest thing that for me is that I had a very long. Project that took a lot of my time and I love doing it. I love the first bit, but then after a while, you know when I was training the same thing day in day out because they couldn’t find someone to replace me as a trainer. But I did everything. I did a full 360 right from the consulting through to the actual delivery of remote training from scrap. Much, and of course the creative side is a bit unlike doing and I like sort of rolling it out just to tweak here and there. And I probably would be more savvy with contracts and things like that. And again, that would be something if that was the 2020 vision, I would actually. Source out as well because you know it may be another expense, but it’s worth it in the end.

Kirsty van den Bulk
I think that’s really good. One of the things that I found really difficult was to buy things. I know that sounds really silly and I I run the business in a way that there has to be money in the. Business for me. To invest in something? Yeah. There’s no money. I don’t invest, and that’s because I set up on a shoestring. So I set up. On two grand. And I’ve been really open about that, but that spending money, what I have learned. Is and it’s interesting what you talking about. The money, what they have meant is what I have to outsource. But more importantly, when I do spend, work comes in. It’s that this energy.

Joanne Baker
Yes.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Extend that no one talks about, so if I invest in something and it could be a piece of software, for instance, with IQ, I absolutely love it, so it could be something like. That and then ohh the money comes in and it’s like ohh I was worried about spending that money. And yet if I sit on the money, nothing comes in. Have you found something similar?

Joanne Baker
Similarly, I think and because I have a clear idea of what I want to, what we want to achieve in the long term, OK. So I’m actually bringing money in so that I can do the project in the long term that I want to do and. I’ve been spending money that I don’t on on equipment and I I don’t buy cheap because I’m buying cheap, buy twice and and then I I’m I’m sort of investing in that future. So as the money comes in, I’m reinvesting it in. So it’s not necessarily bringing me in more customers or clients, but it is bringing me. More tools than I want because my ideas are beyond my capabilities to be fair. So I still got fair back of learning and actually I learned a lot of stuff from your YouTube channels with the, with the girls to podcasts and things like that. I’ve even got a Yeti microphone that you recommended so you know and and yeah. And and yeah. So not quite the same, but I I would imagine in the long term that would be the case for me, but not at the moment.

Kirsty van den Bulk
I I just think it’s brilliant cause you know, I’m I’m into year got gone into year four and I’m now a really lovely point where and I wanna touch on this slightly because I know that you are really good at your own marketing. I. Know that you. Go out there and you drum you you do bang your drum and that’s you know, I I see you all the time. I’m gonna be really. I do see your your content. I like your content. I particularly like your post earlier on this week I thought was really thought provoking and I just wanted to talk about because obviously business owners. It’s it’s difficult your. Marketing, where did you realise that you needed to embrace it?

Joanne Baker
When I was networking and met you, Kirsty. That was no. No, no, no, I mean and and I’ll be honest with you, you, you. Let’s just say you were lucky find. I always knew that I had to be out there. Now, you know, I have a partner. Who he he’s very much an engineer and they don’t. He doesn’t need to go out networking because everything’s word of mouth. He’s very unique in what. Sit. I knew that I would have to do have to get myself out there. And yes, I did videos and I looked at the first videos and I think ohh, but you know I did videos and things and and you know I tried everything, you know, I gave my freebies, you know, just so that to Get Me Out there. So yes, marketing. Marketing. I would say it’s not my biggest strength. In terms of I don’t call call because I simply can’t. It’s not something I can do but but going out in person I can do fairly well once I get over there nerves because when you’re training you’re in control, aren’t. You. And you know, and so people come to you. When you give you deliver and happy days, but then when you’re actually going to people and I mean, I can’t even sell raffle tickets. That’s how bad I am, you know, to friends and family. I I remember being pulled up at when I worked with Hilton being pulled out for not selling their Hilton raffle tickets to friends and family. And I said, I can’t. I just couldn’t do it, but I can sell you 20 cappuccinos or I can sell you a meeting room and you know, if you came to me saying what you have, I can set. I can rock that. So it’s very much and and and actually, as I’ve gone on, I have gained in it in confidence in that as well. So yeah, it’s just now I feel. Everything is coming together. I’ve got my confidence. I’m not floating so much and I I think you you said you said I was drifting in the first year but not least because I had a brilliant client who took up a lot of a lot of of my time, which meant that I couldn’t actually focus on Emerald as searching and marketing. And but I do feel after a year, after 18 months, I really feel I’m I’m in a solid position to know what I want to do now and how I’m going to execute it. It’s it’s just practise.

Kirsty van den Bulk
It does, and it’s understanding where you want the business to go. But also I think what also comes along is life. And just wanna touch on this. I didn’t check that this was OK, but you’ve had some really big life changes recently. Some little things have. Come into your life.

Joanne Baker
Yeah, two grandchildren. So they they had, yes. So. And actually one of the reasons why I went, I decided to set up on my own. I left my last company not under a cloud, but I was disillusioned and I went off to Morocco. I went to two awful, awful interviews. And I thought one of them was had seven stages. At the end this seven. I know it’s ridiculous and I thought, gosh, you know what? I I I you know, I’m not loving all this job finding again cause I’ve never left a job and I’m going to. And then yeah, don’t we can only my youngest son and his wife said, oh, we were expecting a baby, which was a bit of a bit of a surprise, which was like, but a lovely surprise. And I thought, you know what, I’ve got some money. Give it a go. And I did, and it wasn’t half hearted, but I think well what I want in the long term and it’s not happening just yet, but what I want in the long term is to be able to. Like sort of maybe four days a week so I can spend time with grandchildren. We got a I had a new one and about 5-6 weeks ago now, and Oliver, so I’ve got George and Oliver and we’ve got Eleanor as well. He’s three and. Yeah. So, yeah, it’s there has been changes, but I would say that when they told me that George was on his way, then that was the. That was the final thing that made me think. You know, no, I’m not going back into employment. I’m going to do this.

Kirsty van den Bulk
On my own, it’s it’s really interesting because I’m in a similar position and and I was having like many business owners, you get to a point you’re doing really. Well, you think oh. Should I go back into the? Workplace. Should I could I? Would I? Yeah. No. And you? You sit there sometimes. Wondering. Cause there’s there’s a a pool of the regular salary, the bonuses, the cars, the all the wonderful bits that come with it and not having to do the back office for me. Yeah, I the back office is. Before I fall down, I’m like. Ohh, I love all the front stuff, but that back office that that like you were saying, I mean I I have an HR company. You know, I use silo and beyond, I do absolutely go out there and and when when I need someone through the networking I can go Yep. I need an accountant. Yep. I need a video for yes. I need an IT guy like flex IT. I need these people. Because I can’t do it all. And sometimes I think Ohh, won’t it be easier? And then the next morning I wake up and go. Nah, Nah, I like. It I generally really I love what I think. Hey. I love meeting people. I love the freedom, I love that and I don’t know about you, but your child sick. Your grandchild’s sick. I can drop everything if I have to. Obviously not every day. If I’m out client client coaching, what is it that you really love about running your own business?

Joanne Baker
I love the fact that I can play around. I love the fact that I can sort of true new things without it and feeling guilty because it’s on company time. I love the fact that I can, you know, I do get to meet more people. I do go networking. I have been out of the circuit for a little while because of the project, but. And when we came back and said, oh, this is home and you really need that. So I think I, I love all that. But yes, it’s like experimentation. It’s the, the the creative side, the thinking of new ideas. I, you know, to a point. I do like doing the old video here and there for social media. But social media, I have to say, is not my favourite part of of a job. But it it it works. So. So yeah. So yeah. So I think it’s because I, you know, I am quite disciplined. I do sort of say right by the end of the day I will do this. But but you know if I if I’ve done everything and I think. Do you know what? I’m gonna have a go at this or I might go on a course or something like that. So I’m. I’m always trying to learn. How can I do this better? I know they don’t want. Of course. See how they do it and then come off. You know, is that I don’t always go on the course because, you know, I need to learn it. I’d go on the course to see how they how they deliver. Which is a bit cheeky, but you know.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Hang on a minute. That’s that’s putting me in. A bit of.

Joanne Baker
Fear. Now. No, no, no. I’m. I’m not stepping on you whatsoever. I’m not what I. Did one of your courses. It was brilliant because it actually put me into focus. You know, the one big thing about that I feel is flexibility and and that work coming up when you made us do this exercise and it kept coming up flexibility, flexibility, of course it is, it’s you. And that’s what I. That’s what I truly believe because you know. We, we, we. Titled this one size does not fit all.

Joanne Baker
Training in any company is it does not, is not a one. Size fits all. Type of thing. You’ve got people in five with five employees who all need the same kind of training as those with 5000. So it’s finding solutions for, for everybody and that’s very much what I’m about as well because I feel. Everything is so expensive. And so, you know, if you’ve got someone with five employees, you know 400 LB of employee or £500 employee is a lot of money for that small business. Yet it might be dropping the ocean for the for the bigger the bigger company. So it’s about finding affordable and and really good robust. Solutions without compromising them on the quality and that’s the key thing is it’s got to be quality.

Kirsty van den Bulk
So can we just talk? I mean, we all know what what kind of training is, so that’s that’s cool. But could we talk about your training and what you actually the the way you focus, how you help and how you serve people?

Joanne Baker
So basically so I’m try and fill in the gaps in some of my training. So in a lot of companies and either very. The training is very focused on startups and everything else and the top end is forgotten or the top end is is focused on and the and the bottom end is, is forgotten and then you got a bit in the middle which is always a a fuzzy bit. So I try and. Sort of do something for everyone, so that could be through sort of developing internal pathways to career development, so that will help with retention and also do lots of soft skills like recruitment and recruitment and interviewing skills supervisors in action. I’ve got one for care and one for. Hospitality because they’re two different things, completely different things. But I also do the with the on the care side. I do the. I do do the care certificate, but I do things like moving and handling. I do infection control. I do acquire brain injury enablement 101 positive behaviour supports from the hospitality side and it’s definitely the customer service. I can’t, you know. Yet to deliver that, I love that one and I really enjoy it. So. So for the hospitality side or even any customer facing, you know what the customer wants for called principles of customer services and that kind of thing. So, so basically you know. Where I can I can? I can even come in and and do consultancy and say well look, this is where you’re where, where you’ve got gaps. I can do this. And if I can’t do this, then I can. I know a man who can or a lady that can you know. So I think so. Yeah. So it’s it’s basically I can do everything. But I may not be able to deliver everything because it’s not within my remit, but I will always find a solution.

Kirsty van den Bulk
And and that’s where we work in collaboration like I’m I’m working with Jill listening to what you’re saying now, I can see that you could deliver the customer service and I could deliver the sales to sales deck and we could collaborate and that’s what I really love about working and collaborating with other coaches because there’s more power and that is the power of the small business owner. You know, we can be flex, we can be. I love the phrase woo way and I love your approach. I really do. And. You spent your time in hospitality. You’ve spent your time working in the care care system, and now you’re running your own business. You’ve got your grandchildren. You’ve got grown up, you’ve got grown up. Children are hot.

Joanne Baker
I know. And dirty, but you know, but they’ve been really helpful to me. I mean, born to, you know, both to my sons, Patrick, Dominic. And then there’s.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Yeah, that’s.

Joanne Baker
And Laura, some wife and girlfriend and everything. They’ve been really helpful because I’ve been able to get a younger perspective as well. I’m. I’m always worried that I might be a bit dated, but then, you know, they’ll tell me when if something’s great. If it’s not, you know, new logo, for example. They were very much the decision makers or they’ve helped me make that decision with the new logo. And my eldest son is in marketing and we clash a little bit on on styles of marketing. But you know what? He’s rooting for me and my youngest son as well. You know, he’s got it and they’ve both got hospitality behind them. So I never really left hospitality because, you know. But Patrick was a chef and. Because. Cocktail maker extraordinary. He’s a you know that’s taken him all over the world with competition winnings and things. He’s won competitions. So actually, so they’re, they’re the. I do actually refer to my young people, the four and and they are helpful because I think you know you can get stuck in your ways. And that’s one thing. I do worry about. I don’t want to be. After my wife. Want to be, you know, moving along. So yeah, definitely. And I think I went off on attendance. No, sorry.

Kirsty van den Bulk
No, you don’t worry about it. It it was. My next question was who supported you and you? Just told me. All about your regular fan. Awesome.

Joanne Baker
Yeah, you have to, yeah.

Kirsty van den Bulk
But I was actually asking about. Your AHA moments, if there’s been any moments. Where you’ve just gone ah. That’s it or. Ohh I shouldn’t have done that. I’m just wondering if there’s been any of those.

Joanne Baker
Way I think with the long project as much as I was grateful, because at that time I had no work coming in. So you know the work was I think I you know as I said before, I probably would have not stayed with it as long or at least you know. Because most of it was because they couldn’t find a trainer and then at one point I said right, I should have finished. October but, but I’ll stay to January and of course by January they hadn’t found anyone. And then I was there till may. Yeah, may. So I think I I and for me it’s more about how I approach these and to be tougher perhaps you know. But then I don’t want to cut my nose off despite my face. So there’s always that risk. I’m not you. Know. Sometimes risk take and sometimes not, you know, and in this case, I didn’t take the risk. So it’s about it stops. So yeah. Yeah, hard moments. I’ve had a few, but I can’t actually sort of pinpoint them. They’ve been little moments where I thought, ohh, hang on, you know, I did go to an exhibition once and I saw that they did had resources in forms of pop house and that was a very much a hard moment. And and that’s something that I will be doing but not in the same style, not in the same sector. It’s it’s. We don’t. Do you know what? Trainers don’t steal. We resource. But no, it was no idea. And I thought, Oh my God, I could do.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Support on that. Yeah, hold on on that one. I think you should. And and one of the things I always say to people is look at what other people are doing, if you like it, imitate it. There’s nothing. Wrong with that? And more importantly, if you can do it better, go and do it. Just the worst thing in in action. Not doing. You can always edit something. You know when I launched.

Joanne Baker
Yeah.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Yes, however long it was. Yeah, nearly three years ago when they launched this. I didn’t know if it was gonna go past 10 episodes. I didn’t know that we’d certainly get to 87. I didn’t know I’d have 87 talking to my daughter. I’ve got something like 254 hours of the wise. Why 254 hours? And when you sit, there you go. Oh. Actually, that’s a lot. At least she won’t miss me. Right when I die.

Joanne Baker
Well, you know what? You should you know, the only thing you should really look back really is to see how far you come. And I think I truly believe that. But equally, I think one of the best tools the trainer could have or anybody in business could have is reflection and and I do a lot of that and sometimes there are things in in LinkedIn, the articles I read. And it gets it. It gets. It gets me thinking, and then it gets me thinking of something else and something else. Something else more really like that. And that’s one of the things that, you know, when I was working with them with employee. As as an employee, I didn’t have that luxury of being able to read these things and and think, gosh, yes, you know so. So yes, I’ve done a lot of problem solving through LinkedIn and networking and all sorts. So yeah, very lucky. I feel like I’m feeling very lucky.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Awesome. Or you are and. You’re so very good at what you do. So you’re using yoghurt, so she’s. Bloody good business coach and she is. I’d say you’re a bloody good trainer. So there you go on. But don’t steal that one. Cause that would that would be stepping on on your shoes on that one. And this is where the tables get turned and I feel like I’ve spoken quite a lot this morning. But you do get to pose a question to me. You’ve been in the hot seat for about 25 ish. Minutes. So yeah, I know it goes quickly, doesn’t. It yeah, people don’t.

Joanne Baker
It does.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Believe me so. Question from you to me. Let’s see if I can, I think. On my feet.
Joanne Baker

Right. I’m pretty sure you’ve been noticed this before, but if you have been noticed this before and please don’t do this for another at least another 40-50 years. OK, but if you have has anything changed since you last asked it, what would your avatar be?

Kirsty van den Bulk
Ohh my my sorry. What was that?

Joanne Baker
Great.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Ohh it would be I can’t swear, but it would be she gets. Something, something something done. So starts with an S and ends in a T because. I think that’s that’s something else. Get done. Alternatively, it would be mad as a. Box of clothes.

Joanne Baker
I love that, yeah.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Because I think people call me the. So when I went for D link and I walked onto the sales floor for the first time because. I was an actor. I got this. Act as energy and a lot of. People seem to. Think I’ve got ADHD and it’s not, I’m. Just annoying and I do say. I’m sorry I don’t have an excuse for this. This is just me. I am actually that annoying. I run on my gut and I really do. I run completely head and heart, which sometimes does mean my size fives go straight in my mouth and I’m like uhhh, I really wish I could hold back. No, no, he’s gone. Ohh and it’s like this. Thing that just comes out of me and I’m like, where did that come from? Why couldn’t? If only I could philtre occasionally? No, I do do philtre a lot. But I’m known as the Tasmanian devil, mad as a box fox because this person who was in their 40s at some early 40s, bounced out onto. This into the sales floor and. Went good morning. We’ve got a sales. Promotion in centre today and everyone went.

Joanne Baker
What now? Remember.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Remember, I’m on camera here so. That was controlled. What we really got and if I showed you to it, everyone just went. Because I’m an actor because I’m trying to breathe.

Joanne Baker
From you.

Kirsty van den Bulk
I can command a whole room without needing a microphone, so of course I just walked in, took centre stage as if I was delivering a Shakespeare, so on it and did it and everyone went. Literally, WTF? And from that day on I got thanks to Rob, Rob, Rob. Ohh my goodness. What’s later? I got the nickname mad as a box of frogs, so Tasmanian devil whirls in mad is the box of frogs and I get.

Kirsty van den Bulk
Something something to eat.

Joanne Baker
Perfect. Perfect. You’re going before gravestone, aren’t you?

Kirsty van den Bulk
I have I have, although I think I’m probably, this sounds really bad. Probably get cremated because I really do think you know, flowers. No, I’m not going to go there. I’m not going there.

Joanne Baker
No.

Kirsty van den Bulk
I’m not sure about feeding the worms.

Joanne Baker
Anyway.

Kirsty van den Bulk
It’s just been an absolute blast. This morning I knew it would be. If you want to get in touch with Joe, it’s Joe from Emerald now TPDS.

Kirsty van den Bulk
I will. We’ll talk about.

Joanne Baker
Training and people development services, OK, so. https://www.emeraldtpds.co.uk/

Kirsty van den Bulk
Awesome. It’s been an absolute pleasure. I told you it would be wrong. Thank you. So. Much for your time today.

Joanne Baker
It has been fun. Thank you, Kirsty