(#84) Branding, Selfcare and Personal Growth with Tracy Fryer

Hot on the heels of Covid in July 2020 Tracy Fryer opened her doors to her business.

Within a few months, under the guidance of a mentor, she was ready to hire her first contractor and since then her business team has grown.

What I loved the most about this interview with Tracy is her reflections of her personal growth, and mindset she has navigated on her business journey.

Tracy shares her self care routine and why this is important for her to be the exceptional business leader and CEO of her Branding Agency Design Studio Perth.

She also reveals what is the difference between branding and marketing and which needs to come first for anyone new to business.

With a wealth of creative experience, Tracy is unwavering in her mission to produce distinctive brands and to empower business owners to enjoy greater success through Design Studio Perth. Her business mindset partnered with her creative flair makes her the ideal leader to an expert team of Creatives. Her creative ambition also resulted in the launch of Trace Designs Bespoke where Tracy crafts unique jewellery for an incredible range of clients.

Our conversation is one of great reminders, rea-assurances and those behind the scenes moments of wisdom and experience that any one in business can benefit from.

Enjoy this episode with Tracy Fyer and if you have any branding questions head on over to her website or linkedin to find out more.


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Transcript

0:01

Hello, hello, and welcome to Alchemy Mindset. I'm your host, Anna Hasty, business mindset coach for women and a sound healer. If you are ready to become the most aligned, magnetic, and confident business woman you are worthy and deserving of being, visit Then this show is for you. This is where I share everything from mindset, energy, and spirituality, and how to embody your future self in business and life. Sprinkle that with deeply relaxing sound healings and meditations, and you have the Alchemy Mindset Podcast. Hit subscribe so you always get the latest episode. Now let's begin. Hello, hello, and welcome. Welcome to Alchemy Mindset, where today I am sharing another fabulous interview, this time with Tracy Fryer. As you'll hear in this episode, hot on the heels of COVID in July, 2020, Tracy opened her doors to her business. And within a few months, under the guidance of a mentor, she was ready to hire her first contractor. And since then her business team has grown. What I love the most about this interview with Tracy is her reflections of her personal growth and mindset she has navigated on her business journey. Tracy shares her self care routine and why this is Absolutely. So important for her to be the exceptional business leader and CEO of her branding agency design studio, Perth. I also had to ask Tracy being the branding expert that she is, what is the difference? What is the difference between branding and marketing? What needs to come first and why it's so important to everyone? Anybody running a business, whether you're new or you've been in it for a while. With a wealth of creative experience, Tracy is unwavering in her mission to produce distinctive brands and to empower business owners to enjoy greater success through Design Studio Perth. Her business mindset partnered with her creative flair makes her the ideal leader to an expert team of creatives. Her creative ambition also resulted in the launch of Trace Designs Bespoke, where Tracy crafts unique jewelry for an incredible range of clients. Our conversation is one of a great reminder, reassurances, and those behind the scenes moments of wisdom and experience that anyone in business can benefit from. So enjoy this episode with Tracy Fryer from Design Studio Perth. And of course, if you have any branding questions, head on over to her website or LinkedIn to find out more. So sit back, relax, enjoy this fabulous conversation with Tracey Fryer. Now let's begin. Hello, hello. Welcome Tracey. Welcome to Alchemy Mindset. It is such a pleasure to have you on the show today. Welcome. Thank you, Anna. I'm looking forward to our chat. Yeah, it's gonna be fun. I just know it. So let's just start. Tell us, introduce who you are, Tracy, and how you started this fabulous business of yours. So I'm Tracy Fryer from Design Studio Perth and my business journey and creative journey started many moons ago when I was actually 12. I sold my first painting, I've been a creative my entire life. My mom has a drawing that I did of spiders when I was two and she loves to bring it out at the family barbecues. So that's kind of where it all started and really embraced that creative journey throughout school and at uni I studied visual arts and graphic design. Always had a side hustle for as long as I can remember from the age of 12, should I say? And after COVID, it was a bit of a wake up call for me thinking, what am I doing? I, um, always felt like I had a bigger calling on my life in the creative space. And yeah, I started Design Studio Perth full time on the 10th of July in 2020. Oh, wow. 10th of July, 2020. Yes. So just after COVID sort of went down. So yeah. Wow. Gosh, I know quite a few businesses that we're in the same sort of mix. Like no doubt you didn't just go wake up one day and go, Oh, I'm just going to start my business and it's July the 20th or July the 10th, 2020 doors are open. Like this was obviously brewing for a while. How did you keep the faith and hold space for yourself that it was all going to work out despite COVID? And the mix of all of that, because nobody anticipated that, right? So I'm sure that your planning for your business was well before COVID even like reared its head. Yes. How did you navigate that? So I think there wasn't any certainty that it was going to work out. I think I was just so fed up with, you know, being unhappy in my job and it wasn't anything my employee was doing. I just had this pattern whereby every two years I became deeply unhappy. And you know, you can only sort of give so much feedback to an employer. You can't. quite restricted in what you want to do. And naturally I would try and lead because I am a leader, you know, by heart and it wasn't received very well. So I think, yeah, it was actually my husband who said to me, Trace, you know, you so unhappy in your job. Why don't you just do your own thing full time? And it was like a massive light bulb went on and prayed for a sign, got it probably two weeks later because my eyes were of course open to seeing it and yeah, pretty much resigned on the spot. And Design Studio was born, uh, full time. So I had freelance for a number of years. I'd always done a lot of graphic design on the side. I studied jewelry design as well. So I've seen a lot of bespoke engagement rings, wedding bands. It's just always been a part of my life and in my blood. And yeah, I hit the ground running and I think, you know, having a little bit of a nest egg saved, cause of course it's expensive to be alive. So I had a nest egg saved and kind of used it. That was also, I think from a mental health point of view, kind of eases the pressure, but because you have got a bit of money saved that you can kind of fall back on, if heaven forbid it doesn't work out. But to be quite honest with you, failure has never been an option for me. And I'm so focused on my mission and educating business owners around branding and how they can really leverage it in their business. I mean, there's been tough times, I'm not going to lie, but I'm just very focused on where I'm going and growing. Yep. Absolutely. So COVID happened and you're like, Oh, well, whatever's happening in the world around me, I'm still moving forwards on this. Like I'm not giving up. This is going to come, this is all going to evolve into where I see it going. Is that correct? It is correct. Yeah. I just had this inner feeling. I believe in God. And I think he had just led me to a point where I just had this deeper sense of knowing that this was the right thing to do because I had tried to go out on my own probably about it. Six or seven years before that, but I don't think I had the confidence or maybe the maturity to do so. And I also had all my jewelry and my branding and I used to do art as well, all merged under Trace Designs. And of course, because there's a product and there's a service and there's a different ideal clients, it wasn't working. So when I started Design Studio Perth, I split everything out. So Design Studio Perth is my branding agency and Trace Designs Bespoke is my Bespoke jewelry line. Yeah. Amazing. And then when you started the design studio, Perth, did you start, were you the only team member or did you already recruit people in to be part of your team? No. So it was me, myself and I, the three of us, and I thought it would actually just be me for the first five years. Again, they don't teach you at art school, how to run a business. And I crossed paths with an amazing business coach that was probably around about August, 2020, and my mind was open to the idea of bringing a team member on. And how that would allow me to, I guess, broaden my services, broaden my skillset, free up more of my time. Because I think majority of business owners, we have this goal of freeing up more of our time, but I guess there's a lot of work to be done before that. So yes, I took on my first contractor that was in December, Danny. She was my first team member. And then I took on Mab, who's my amazing ops manager now. I took Mab on, I think it was around about March the year after. And Mav is still with us, which is great. She now oversees my entire team and liaises with our clients as well. And I'm so proud of how she's grown with us too. Oh, that's amazing. It must feel really quite inspiring to be like, see your business growing because you've got quite a few team members on your team with the services that you offer. So it must be quite inspiring to see that you're welcoming new team members on all the time, but creating a business where it's not only inspiring businesses to create the branding that's in alignment with what they're offering, but also creating a team that's also inspiring to work with as well. Right. Yes, definitely. And depending on the caliber of team member that you bring on board in terms of being an A player, it will actually lift your leadership game in so many ways. And, you know, I think it's one thing is starting a business and believing in what you're doing. But when you actually see your team come on board and they are so emotionally invested. In the brand, in the business, like it really moves me because again, it's someone else believing in your vision and believing in what it is that you do. And I know how hard it is for creatives to actually get into the space. I mean, there's a lot of hoops to jump through. It's a very clicky industry. So Design Studio Perth, while we're dedicated to helping our clients grow with distinction, we're also very dedicated to helping our team grow with distinction as well. And people spend most of their life at work. If you don't enjoy it, it's very depressing. So Really have a culture of enjoying what you do, loving what you do and essentially growing from what you do as well. Wow. That's great. That's so great to hear. Cause I think that's the one thing that within starting a business is, you know, like you said, we all start with, it's just me, myself and I, right. It's just us. That's just the individual. And then at some point there's going to be an element where you're like, I need to outsource something or I need to hire someone on depending on what kind of business I'm offering. But to create that culture where people want to stay and they believe in what you believe in and they want to, you know, make it the best possible as well. I think that's a true testament to someone who's like a great leader and someone who can really inspire and encourage and take care of their employees as well. You know, I think maybe this is a generalization here, but there's probably some places out there, some industries, some workplaces where, you know, employees aren't valued in that same way. And you're right, like they go to work, but they're not inspired. They're not happy, and they're not going to give their best output. No, definitely not. And just also to be clear, I haven't always been this way. I have worked with an amazing business advisor who's really helped me level up in every sense of the word. Again, they don't teach you this stuff at art school. I mean, they teach you how to use, you know, computer programs and how to be creative, but when it comes to human relationship, which is very complex and being a leader and a business owner, they don't teach you that part. So it has been a learning journey for me as well along the way. Yeah. So you've seen that your growth has come from receiving coaching or mentoring as well. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's important for every business owner in some respect that no matter where your growth is or where you're starting or even moving through or journeying towards that, there is a time when it's okay to lean on a mentor or a coach or, you know, To seek that knowledge to fill the gap of something that you don't know so that you can basically be the best when you get into that next section of your business. Yeah, definitely. And also something you have to weigh up is how much time do you want to waste trying to learn something that someone, you know, who has potentially a lot more experience than you do, they've done the hard yards, they've learned it. You know, you can essentially really leverage off that experience and save yourself so much time because you're not, well, trust me, there's a lot of blood, noses still, but you're not But you're not having, you know, those other hundred blood doses that you kind of avoiding by working with that person. And I think every business owner needs a mentor or coach or an advisor in some capacity, especially if you are driven and do have big goals. You know, there's a lot of knowledge on the internet, but again, it's where do you find this? If you are trying to achieve things in a certain timeframe, I highly recommend it. Yeah, absolutely. And just have someone to like bounce the ideas off or to lean on when you're not feeling great. Oh, and think time's flowing your way. Yes, as they sometimes do. And then when you started your business, like what was some of the mindset that went around? Like what was some of the things that were going through your head of like, Can I do this? Can I not do this? Does this feel right? Like you said, you asked for a sign and you received one, but was there, we know that you're going to open your doors and during COVID time, which, you know, I know so many other businesses that started during that time as well, but it's like, where was your mindset within that? Like, was there anything in particular that came up that challenged you or was it smooth sailing and there was no problems? I think for me, when I first started, I was so driven by the passion that I have for creativity. Like I said, it's been a part of my life forever. And I think I was so just driven by that, the idea of, you know, imposter syndrome and can I do it, or can't I do it wasn't really there. It was more just focusing on how I could be of service to others and use creativity to help others. For me, I think the other kind of stuff started rolling in like, you know, self doubt and imposter syndrome and all that other lovely stuff. As my own, I guess, bar got shifted, you know, every level has another devil. So again, as you go and grow and your own goals move, self doubt will naturally come into play as it does. But that's why it's so important to work on your mindset and make sure that you are navigating that because what's between our ears can sometimes be extremely destructive if we're not careful. Oh, 100%. I really do agree with that. I mean, that's why I love doing my tech coaching. I want to support women in business to feel so strong within themselves that what they're doing, there is no doubt. Like you said, you had the passion and you had the fire, but it came later on as you were growing and developing that there was the self doubt as to like, was it more so like that conversation of like, I'm not sure if this is possible for me, or I'm not good enough, or I don't have the knowledge. I think the thing is we start to look what everyone else is doing and again, social media portrays things in such a way, but we don't really know what's going on for that person behind closed doors. So you're kind of going to comparison mode in the gomagos, you know. This person's done that. And I used to do this in the beginning, which is, I don't recommend, you know, we're all on our own journey and it's the worst thing to do to yourself. And I now don't do that, but it's, yeah, I guess as I was going and growing and you look at what other people are doing in this space, that sort of doubt comes in, but I think something I underestimated that is having a business will impact every single area of your life. And I don't care who says what, that is absolutely true. It will, you know, show all the cracks, all the flaws, whilst it's a very beautiful personal growth journey, it will definitely impact absolutely everything that you do, your friendship circles, your relationships, everything. Yeah. Did you see changes then that happened within your, um, friendship circles or relationships or with family or anything like that? Yeah, I did. So I think with my family, when I first told them I'd quit my job, my, one of the first questions I was asked was about my maternity leave, bless my mom and them. But again, you know, it's a different generation. And I said to my mom, like, I'm not going to hang around for baby that might not happen and give up on my dreams. So that was my folks, but they're very supportive. They've always, you know, been there for me. Embrace my creative journey. It wasn't like I had to go study law or be a doctor or anything like that. They really have embraced me and my ways and let me draw on the walls when I was small. So that was my family. And then in terms of my friendship circles, it's interesting because I think when you. Step into a greater version of yourself. People around you get uncomfortable because they realize what they may be lacking within themselves. So yeah, it was, wasn't, it was just, wasn't so well received in some friendship circles. So probably about maybe two years in my entire friendship group changed, which is fine because I think you outgrow certain people as well. And. As you make space in your life, you kind of attract like minded people into your circle. And, you know, four years in now, I fully understand the power of, you know, you pretty much become whoever you hang out with. So you have to be very selective in that regard. Yeah, absolutely. I see this a lot in a lot of mindset or manifestation coaches or people that are talking in the energetic realm that, you You know, if you want to expand yourself and going towards different levels and goals, who are you surrounding yourself? There's a saying, isn't it? Like you're the sum of the people you hang around with or something like that. And it's, and like, it's a fine line, I feel like with that quote, because there's some friendships that They're near and dear to us and, you know, they're not worth destroying or burning to the ground just because they're not on the same journey. Of course. But there are some friendships where we're like, well, actually, we're not in alignment on the same path and journey and if supporting each other and all those kind of like, I guess feelings and attitudes that you'd expect with a strong supportive friendship that goes both ways, right? Yeah, of course. Yeah, like if you're starting to expand yourself as a business owner, like, are you supporting yourself around other like minded business owners who are wanting the growth, you're wanting the development, or are you hanging around business owners who are all doom and gloom and telling you that the world falling apart and you can't make success around COVID, you know, and yeah, I agree. It is important to be aware of like who we're spending time with, like the energy that we're expending and receiving from people as well. Yeah. And I think something important to highlight is that also, you know, it might not necessarily be that our friends can't handle it, but we've actually changed. And we might not see the value in hanging out, you know, with those people and say, drinking every Friday and Saturday, for example, your interests kind of change and your priorities change. So I think it's just a natural growth progression. Yeah, absolutely. What other sort of personal growth have you seen within yourself starting a business and then when it's come to like leading and managing a team? Wow. Okay. So the first part of that question was working on, I guess, my self worth and being worthy of having a team of eights and a business of a certain size. So I had a big health journey that started about two years ago and been focusing on that and just got rid of all my excuses, you know, instead of hitting the alarm clock, I actually got up early. Structured a morning routine, started, you know, eating healthy, going to the gym. So I've lost 20 kilos in that process and I just feel, yeah, I feel so much better. Feel so much more confident. I think the thing is like, I didn't believe that was possible, but I am highly competitive and with myself, so I put my mind to it and yeah, it's been a great journey, got into running. And I just love to really challenge myself to, to do the things I think I can't do, because usually that's, you know, the stories that we tell ourselves aren't true. So from that point of view, that's been my big personal growth journey and just putting myself outside my comfort zone and with the podcast I launched was completely out of my comfort zone, but I believe that's where the best growth happens when we, you know, we are nervous, we are cracking the sweat, we don't feel like we know it all. So I really enjoy doing that because I think that's where growth happens. Yeah, absolutely. And then when it came to leading the team, what was some of the things within that? Was it just mainly realizing that I need, if I'm going to lead a team, I need to be my healthiest version. Like I need to be present. I need to be, I don't know what that would have looked like for you. Yeah. So with leading a team, I had a realization that I, you know, I'm leading a team that is somewhat dependent on me. They look up to me and how can they look up to me when I'm not in my optimal state, uh, where potentially, and this is one of the reasons I gave up drinking, you know, I've had a big week and I'm hung over. I'm functioning at half mast. How can I expect to lead people if I'm not in my best version of myself? So, you know, that was a big wake up call for me and yeah, it's been a massive personal growth journey in every sense of the word, but I really love where things are at and I'm still on that journey as well. Yeah, that's incredible. I think this really highlights something that I often say to my clients and community is that I honestly feel like running a business and stepping out on your own in this It's like arena really does help shift and highlight so much personal growth. Like it's so much in a development work that goes on behind the scenes and it's sometimes work that we just don't expect it's going to have to happen or will happen or that we're facing to happen. But I wouldn't say like, I personally feel like within my own journey and personal growth and inner development from operating a business, I wouldn't have it any other way. My kids. The things I've shifted and learned about myself and have, you know, like you said, building that confidence within yourself, like putting yourself out there in ways that are different and not comfortable or the usual, you know, stepping out of that comfort zone. I agree. Like there's, for me, starting the podcast and I remember like ages ago thinking, yeah, I think maybe a podcast would be a great avenue for me to share content and just get to meet people and have these amazing fun filled conversations, right? Like, I love this. Yeah, but I was chatting to a friend and she's, and we were talking about podcasts and she said, I love listening to this particular one and this one. I've always believed like this person is the best podcast interviewer and I'm like, I haven't even started, but already I'm doubting my abilities and that I don't think I could be a nearly as great as some of those people because clearly they're better than me already. But you know, Hey, I haven't even started and yet I'm already tripping myself up with my thoughts and my beliefs as to whether or not I can do it. As so many people do. Yeah, it's crazy how we sort of, well not necessarily crazy, but it's the truth. We do often talk ourselves out of doing things that could lead to such greatness because we're already doubting ourselves based on something that we've seen, heard, like you said, you know, comparing ourself, that kind of thing. I would love for you to share, like, as you said, you've gone through like a really big personal health shift and change. What are you doing right now to like maintain your self care? Because being a leader and running your own business, I do feel like there is an element of like needing to take care of your yourself in all avenues, not just like physically, but you know, mental health and as I see it now as well, like our energetic health. What has that looks like for you as well? So I have a very religious morning routine that I honor every day because that helps me again, be in that optimal state. So I'll get up, I'll journal, I'll pray, I'll meditate. I'm a big fan of soundbards as well. I, um, I think it's, it's such a powerful space when you do submerge yourself in that, because being a business owner and myself, my mind goes a hundred miles an hour. So, But it just feels like everything stops in that moment and I can actually just be at peace with myself and make room for other great things to kind of flow into my life because I am go go at a very intense rate. But yes, a part of my morning routine, journaling is very powerful. It's a tool that I thought was an absolute load of crap when I first started, but I was wrong. It really helps me just, you know, have a focus for the day, set an intention. If there's something that I perhaps did the day before that I'm not too proud of, I will journal on that and try to be better the following day. I still stuff up. Don't get me wrong. And then exercise has become a massive part of my daily routine as well. So I do a lot of running, uh, reform the Pilates. It's a mind, body, and soul connection, right? So I try, look, look after those three different aspects of my life, because I don't think we can just do one of them to be in an optimal state. I agree. Absolutely. I feel like I've had a couple of these conversations recently where we've been taught from like the word dot really to take care of our physical health. You know, go for a walk, you know, do some sort of exercise, get out in the fresh air, that kind of thing. And then mental health has been a really big part. And we are. Physical and we're mental beings as well. So taking care of our mental health, like looking after, you know, our mental health, how we take care of ourselves, our thoughts, you know, seeking help. If we're not feeling happy, that kind of thing. But I I'm really keen to see the third key piece come through and that's the energetic health. Like how are we taking care of ourselves spiritually, energetically, vibrationally, because we are that we are those that mind, body, and spirit. And yeah, I can't wait to see that start to evolve more and be like more. More like that mainstream conversation rather than be like, Oh, that's just woo woo spirit, you know, God talk or whatever it is. It's not, no, it's definitely, I think it's slowly opening up. But again, like you said, we all energy, we all vibrations and like, You know, in the manifestations and all those sorts of things against beyond that optimal play, we need to align all of those so we can sounds funny, but vibrate on a great vibration, you know, absolutely. I see it that when we're in business for ourselves, we do need to take care of our energetic health. Like when we're more connected within ourselves, when we feel good physically, when we feel great within ourselves mentally. We're opening up our channels for our spiritual connection, because we do have a higher self. We do have a conscious, we do have like a connection to something that's greater than us. No matter what we want to label it or call it or describe it or just know that it's there. And that is part of our life. That's why we're here on this planet in this tiny little blip. This whole entire existence. Right. And I really do feel like when it comes to running a business, like if we do stop and take time to like meditate or connect in or look after ourselves on that vibrational level, we can be so much more powerful than what we possibly could imagine. We have more insights, we have more downloads, we have more inspiration to come through. And wouldn't that be just incredible to see how that shifts and changes. Everything that is happening in the world around us as well. Like just blows my mind. And I'm so excited to be part of this journey, like to be in amongst the mix and the talk and witnessing these things. And I can't possibly imagine like what is to come beyond these, like my lifetime. But yeah, I do feel like this conversation of energy and spirituality is really coming stronger and stronger within the business world and within the world in general, that it's, this is who we are. Like we have to embrace these conversations. It's not. Silly talk. It's not, you know, my grandma doing the tea leaf reading. I love those. Yeah, I know. That'll be me one day. I'll have like, my grandma does the card readings and she plays bowls. You know? I think there's still a lot of resistance around it though. And I see so many business owners who, you know, they won't embrace this cause they think it's weird or they think it's a lot of crap, but you know, they're so great at what they do. But they almost deprived themselves of plugging into the divine and raising the stakes on their own life. You know, why wouldn't you? I mean, even if you get there one day and it's not there, I mean, I firmly believe it is, but you know, people say, Oh, well I need scientific proof or I need, you know, but if you really tuned into it, you would find that proof that you need, you know, so there's a bit of pushback on it. And people say, you know, I don't know. Nothing changes if nothing changes. And people will complain about things or say, you know, I'm burnt out, I'm feeling this way, but then they won't set the time aside to actually look after themselves. Or they're so busy looking after everyone else in their life, their clients, their kids, their dogs, whatever the case may be, that they can't find half an hour in their day to, to journal or meditate or just actually just be still, you know, for five minutes. So, yeah, absolutely. And there's almost like I read something today on social media that there's almost like this celebration of being burnt out, or there's this celebration of, you know, pushing yourself to the limits beyond no return. There's almost like a celebrate, like you're a hero for like, for burnout, for just working ridiculous amount of hours, for sacrificing yourself for something. That is your work or and that in that respect, rather than realizing that it's the importance is like honoring yourself and taking care of yourself because when you do, you're actually getting out of your own way of any other resistance or struggles and you're allowing more. Oh, I mean, if I had to just broadly say it, like the good stuff to come in, right? More inspiration, more connections, more opportunities, that kind of thing. Yeah. And also, you know, what are your priorities in your life? Like you have so many business. Oh, I did an 18 hour a day and I'm like, I can't help my facials at the best of time, but I'm like, Well, what have you deprived to do those 18 hours and was those 18 hours really a productive use of your time or are you, do you actually lack the ability to trust someone else to actually help you? Like it could be mindless admin crap that you're busy with. Like how much of your day could you actually have delegated to someone else and freed up that time to be with your husband or with your kids or even just with yourself, you know? So. I think some business owners get so wrapped around the idea that no one can do it like them, or, and I, and I get it, like, you know, having a business, it's like, it's like your baby, it's hard to trust someone. But I also almost think we kind of block ourselves in some way of growth because we're so fixated on that only we can do it a certain way. And I'll be honest, I have, I have a brilliant team who actually can do things better than me. And it's, it's actually has helped me be a better leader in person. So, um, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a sign of great leadership and great business when you know that I can let go of the reins and hire someone who is equally, if not better in this realm or area of work, and they can do the job for me. Like, isn't that incredible? Like, isn't that an amazing. amazing and rewarding thing to be able to open an opportunity for someone to step in and share their greatness, their talents, and that you are able to be like, you know, bring these amazing people together and yeah, create a service that other, that other businesses are going to benefit from. Of course. And also freeing up more of your time. I mean, I try not work on the weekends. Sometimes it's stuff that has to be done. I'm not going to lie. That happens. Balance doesn't exist. You know, sometimes you on the good side, the bad side, you just have to do what needs to be done. Yeah. But again, having a team, you also have to weigh up the cost. Like what is the cost of getting a team member or what is it going to actually cost me personally to not have that team member? It's cost me my time. It's cost me time with my kids, my dog, my family, whoever it might be. So just really weighing up that cost. And I think, you know, I got a cleaner. It's fantastic because I weighed up the cost. I'm like, well, if I stand and clean my house for three or four hours, it's going to cost me X amount of my hourly rate. But if I get my lovely cleaner and it, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's A hundred bucks or whatever it is. And it's, you know, she loves what she does. She's happy and I get a clean house and it's, you know, I get to focus on what I love. So just weighing up, we can't create any more time and none of us know when our time will be up. So just really trying to create as much of it as possible as we go. Yeah, I love that. I really like that message there that looking around, not only just like where you can invite more time in that we do have available and in your case, it's like, well, I'm looking at the cleanliness of my house and I can either do it myself. Yes, I can save some money, not my favorite, but I could also hire someone contribute to the economy as well. The way I see it, like if you're hiring a cleaner, that's not a luxury that's contributing to the economy and helping somebody else's livelihood, right? But it's also freeing up your time. Like you said, like maybe you. Have some deadlines and you need to spend more time within your business within that short period or that little period of time, or maybe it just gives you more time to do some exercise, running, journaling, you know, be with your dogs or whatever you like to do. Right. Yeah. Or even just go for facial. But yeah, I mean, you know, I absolutely love my cleaner Sharon. We have great chats and again, she's enjoying it and it frees up my time. So you can't, you can't really even put a price on that. So you touched on briefly, and I just want you to go over it again, because I love to hear people's experiences. You said that you've enjoyed experiencing sound baths as well. Just share with the listener. I always love to hear people's feedback and what they've experienced when they've received a sound bath, because it is a personal thing and it's always different for everybody. So by all means, Tracy, share, share away. I find when I always start any type of meditation, a sound bath, any type of spiritual healing, whether it's, you know, prayer, whatever the case may be. My mind, because I'm in this world where my mind goes a hundred miles an hour, it always takes a little bit of time to kind of settle. Even if I do a float, whatever it is, but I find instead of giving up and pushing it away, I just go with it. And eventually everything just kind of settles. And I am going to sound very weird with what I'm about to say. But it's like you'll just leave your body in some ways because you're not worrying about doing something. You literally just lying there. And I find, especially with soundbars and the float that I do, it really just almost takes you to another dimension. I know it sounds very out there, but just being still, because I do lead a very busy and blessed life. It's nice just to be still, to be at peace, to not have to worry about a deadline, worry about anything else. And I always find no matter what spiritual healing I do, there's always such, there's Fantastic and like non coincidental things that happened shortly after. So I think because you are channeling your energy in a different way, and like you said earlier, you open up different channels, there's always amazing things that happen. And I usually find what it is, is that people will actually just randomly start opening up to you. Because I think, you know, I always believe when the teacher's ready, the student shows up. And in some ways, you know, there might be a conversation, That they've been wanting to have with someone, but they hadn't. And then you can always help guide that person to whoever they might need to meet to meet. I know that sounds a bit vague and a bit out there, but there's always something really magical that happens the week or two afterwards. So, I mean, I believe in science and all that sort of stuff. So I highly recommend it. And I know again, a lot of business owners say, Oh, it's too, and I can't stall for five minutes. Well, you choose and not to stall for five minutes. Just give yourself 20 and then you'll be fine. So, yeah, you're not giving yourself five minutes, you're having at least 20 to an hour. That's an incredible testimony as to what you've experienced within the sound bath. And that sense of having like your mind become still and that you're just present within the moment is really powerful. Like that is like one of the key. Basically experiences that many people have when they go to a soundbite, they not only just feel relaxed and they just receive some nice, peaceful sounds, but it does really work on our brainwave states. And you've just said it, like, my mind is a lot more calmer. I feel a bit more relaxed. And then having that, as you said, you sometimes feel like you've just had like a bit of, you've gone off somewhere on a little journey. Yeah, I do. Definitely. 100%. And again, it's like, it's a process, right? So if you start this journey and you extremely wound up, which a lot of us are, it's going to feel a bit strange. And that's why we say to someone at least like stick at something for at least three months. Stick at it longer if you can, because you'll get into the rhythm of things. And I think something meditation being mindful has really helped me with is not to be so reactive, just be very active. Someone would say something and Tracy was up the ladder at a million miles an hour. So it's just really just helped me calm my form for one of the better words. Absolutely. Like if you do stick at it a few more times, you are going to notice shifts and differences from the first time, because some people who come, they I get some people that just drop straight in. They were like, I don't know where I went. That was amazing. My mind was still love it. I'll come back and then I'll have other people go, yeah, I just felt really restless and it's like, well, what are you resisting? What are you feeling restless about? But I bet if you came the second time, because your mind already knows the path and the process of this whole entire session, you will probably be able to relax a little bit better because you already know what to expect. I mean, I think. When I hold my soundbars, I always try and prime people with a little bit of like, this is the flow of today's session, just to try and ease their mind and preempt the ones that are like, what, what's going on? Or like, I don't relax, but I do believe like, like you said, I completely agree. If you come back and you do another one, another one after that, and another one, you're going to be different each time you come anyway, because in between sessions, something's happened, something shifted, you've experienced something, you've done something. But you do it a few more times, your body and your mind will relax and it will, you will allow yourself to relax more because you have that reassurance of what's going to happen, but you're remaining open to more things to happen and more for more things to be experienced. So, What you've explained as well, like going on a journey and then just having those coincidences or those synchronicities that line up afterwards. They are again, like often comments and feedback that I get from other people in sound baths. It's so true. I'm so glad you shared that. Thanks. Yeah, no, any pleasure. It's so, so true. And I think something else that meditation Soundbites has taught me is to just surrender. I think one of the things I probably struggle with, which I think a lot of business owners do is trying to control everything and every situation. And if I don't do this, I'm like, if I don't present this proposal, I'm not going to get this outcome and just trying to manage every area of your life. So it's really taught me again, like I said, to just calm my farm, to trust and to surrender and to just go with the flow and not try and Control every single aspect of everything happening because that's freaking exhausting. Absolutely. Yeah. And to give yourself that sense of surrendering, letting go, it's a really amazing thing to do for yourself. And I'm so glad you're sharing this with the listeners that as a business woman, as a leader within a team that you're, the importance that you emphasize on self care. Yeah, so that you can basically sustain yourself because running a business is a long game. It's not unless you're setting your business up to be sold. It's your legacy. Like, what are you going to be leaving behind? So you need that energy and that vibrancy for the long game. Completely. And I think a lot of ladies struggle, you know, so I can't spend a hundred dollars on a facial and, you know, I can't set the time aside because I have to go, I'm like, just stop making excuses, please. Like there's, there's options. There's grandparents, there's nannies. I shouldn't say, cause I don't have kids. But if you can't take a hundred dollars and invest that in yourself, then you have to really look at yourself worth as well, you know, and anyone is worthy of just setting aside an hour for yourself to really, because the business will, it will grind you down if you're not careful. And I have been very lost in it when I first started. If you don't have boundaries, if you don't look after yourself, look after your mind and look after your team, it can eat you alive to be quite honest. Yeah, absolutely. And you've touched on their boundaries, which is a word that I love. What would boundaries look like for you? Like you said, when you first started, you got a bit lost in it and then you created your boundaries. So how did you know that, Oh, I'm getting lost in my business. This is happening. This is maybe overruling over running my life. And I had to create boundaries. And what are those boundaries? Yeah. So for me, I think I didn't have any boundaries of time. I used to, you know, get up literally at five straight on my laptop, take it away. I, you know, work till 12 at night. I would just go, go, go, go, go, which I understand when you first start up, you have to kind of do those sorts of things, but you know, we've got our different areas of our lives. So I've got my faith, my family, my business. you know, my fitness and something will start in one of those other areas. When I know things are out of whack, something will start suffering and they'll usually be something that happens to make me aware of that. And because I worked from home when I first started as well, I used to have to, at five o'clock I wasn't, you know, I was Tracy to Aba Mama now, and it's Tracy, you know, dinner time. And I would have to separate myself from my beautiful laptop, which I love very much because otherwise, you know, especially if you're married or have kids, The people in your life that are most important to you start to feel very inconsequential because you absolutely consumed by a business and don't get me wrong, I love my business very much and it's very important, but also if you go back to what really matters in your life, it's your people and the time that you have with them. So like I said, something will usually start to give in one of those areas. Then I know that I'm a bit out of whack cause I don't believe balance exists, but I do believe we can kind of try and maintain things. In a way to keep us on track. And I know people say, but I'm not, you know, doing things at a million miles an hour, I'm not going to get to my goals, but you know, business is not the be all and end all. Yes. It's very important, but there are other areas of our lives as well. And I think it's important that all those areas of our lives grow with us and that don't get left behind. Yeah. I think that's a really important message there as well. And that you've highlighted that, you know, business growth doesn't come from being so driven and from being in that frantic, chaotic hustle energy. That's what maybe business was. 10, 20, 30 years ago. That's how we've, that's the culture that we've grown up with, but there is a big shift now where we do need to take care of our energy. Like we've been talking about our physical health and mental health, our energy health, because that helps to sustain us, but it also helps drive our creativity and our, you know, resilience and all the other things that come with business. And I know for within myself that when I feel very rested, when I feel like I have been taking care of myself, my own self care, but also like, You know, my relationship with my husband, I mean, I'm the same. I love my business. Like it's been forever, like diving in and around here, but at some point I've got to, I've got to emerge, I've got to leave this room, right. And see him and like spend time with him. Otherwise he's not, he's like, well, we're in a marriage, but I think you're married to your business. Where are you? Right. And I agree with you. Like when we have like areas of our life, if we're seeing that, you know, one is a little bit more, Dominated than the others. Is that because it just needs that bit of focus right now, or is it because we are, it is the dominated one right now. And it's just way out of proportion compared to what needs to be focused on other areas, like our relationships, you know, or our own health. And what it is basically saying, like, are there things that we're sacrificing for our business? Yeah. It's not really for the benefit of our business overall or ourselves. Yeah, no. And also maintaining that clear communication with those around you. I think if you are married to someone or have a partner that isn't a business owner, it's very hard for them to understand why you're nuts enough to sit and work till 1am in the morning, you know, so really as a leader, as a business owner, making that person aware of why you're doing it, you know, what it is that you're doing and just try and include them on that journey as much as you can, because otherwise you will grow in different directions. Yeah, that's great advice. Thank you for sharing that. That's okay. Yeah. Amazing. A couple of things I just want to finish with was in our majors in conversation is just going back to branding, which is what design studio Perth is about. What is the difference between branding and marketing? So for anybody who's new to starting a business, what are those two elements like and how did they fit in the big scheme of things? Yeah. So the analogy I like to use is that branding and marketing is like dating. So marketing is like asking someone on the date and branding is the reason they say yes. So branding is a, you know, it's a perception that we like to create in the eye of our audience. It's a feeling that we want them to feel connected with our brand and marketing of the task to kind of showcase that brand. So for example, you could be doing your Google ads or you're doing your social media management, but you essentially need your. Visual identity, which is your logo and your brand style guide. It is your messaging framework. I come across so many business owners who don't have their messaging framework established, like who it is that they sell into, who is it that they serve their ideal clients. That's essentially who your brand is built around and then looking at your brand media, so your photos, your videos. And in order to really execute effectively on any marketing tasks, there are those three pillars really need to align in terms of our visuals, in terms of our messaging. You're going to go and spend 20 grand on an ad campaign, but you have no idea who your ideal client is. Well, then the return that you won't get the return that you're hoping for. So I always like to say any marketing branding is an investment of time, energy, and money. And you really want to make sure that it's going to give us the best return. And in order to do that, those three pillars really need to be aligned with our ideal clients. So all our marketing tasks, Can give us that return and help us grow. So essentially would it be branding first in a way, and then you step into marketing? Is that how you would see it? Yes, definitely. So always establishing the brand first. So I think a lot of business owners, they create their brand around themselves. I mean, some of them don't know any better. They're going copy and paste from a competitor. Please don't do that. So really building out that brand around that ideal clients. Once that's established, you've got the brand assets to then create marketing strategy, create a marketing campaign moving forward as well, because again, you need your, you know, your key messages, your tagline, you need your logo. And I think there's a lot of business owners think that a logo is your brand. Well, a brand is so much more than that. And it is very multifaceted and a lot of business owners get very overwhelmed by the idea of branding. Always having those three pillars established, then you can really create any marketing, you know, project thereafter very effectively. Yeah, that's really good to hear because I mean, I can, I'm just reflecting when I first started my business, I thought branding was my logo as well. Right. But since then I've learned it so much more, which you've just covered, but it is essentially like the key part of the foundation of running a business. And I know for a fact that for some people, when they do start, Opening their doors to serving clients or customers. It is overwhelming. It's like, I have to do what now? Like I have to create this and it's not their talent. It's not what they're actually choosing to do as their business. No, that's where they could come to someone like you to help support them and things like that. Yeah, definitely. And again, it goes back to that time. Do you want to, you know, you have to weigh up where you want to, where's the most productive use of your time. Do you want to try and, you know, create your own logo on Canva, which a lot of people have access to. So the likelihood of that logo being bespoke and custom to your business is very slim and you're going to get lost in a very digitally flooded market. So you have to think about where you want to spend your time or is it worth investing that time, energy and money with a professional who can build a brand. around your ideal client. And I always like to say, you know, brand is like a living thing. It's the words that we use like a person. You and I converse with each other through words. We recognize each other by facial features. That's our logo, our brand identity, and then also how we make each other feel. So think about how you want your brand To make someone feel, if we think of Apple, BMW, Frank body, which is amazing. They had an amazing coffee scrub. You know, if you go to that brand, like it's just, it's such a clever use of brand tone and everything and, and brands and experience as well. So that brand in particular, from the moment you go on their website, purchase their product, when it arrives at your door, there's brand cohesion. Across every single platform. And as a business owner, you really want to create that brand cohesion because we're bombarded on a daily basis with thousands of messages on TikTok, Instagram, every single platform. And if you've got, you know, 25 different messages across the border, you're not even sure yourself, well, how are you really going to stand out in the market then? Yeah, absolutely. And you, and you're so true in saying that, that when we think of big brands or even our favorite. Coffee scrubs or body scrubs or whatever it is, like we immediately know what that brand looks like, what their colors are, maybe what their message is, but we already know what the feeling and sensation is from having that product, right, or experiencing that thing that they offer. And I think a lot of business owners as well say, Oh, well, I'm not, you know, I'm not as big as Apple. I'm not as big as Gucci, but those brands weren't always that size. They had to start somewhere and then they kind of grew into that. So I think people really underestimate branding and how they can really leverage it in their business for growth. And I think the stats, you know, when you do brand your business properly, it's up to 40 percent growth rate. Of course, there's a few different factors that come into play with that, but yes, always branding first and then marketing afterwards. Yeah, that's really good to know. That's very helpful. Thanks. Oh, good. It's always good to speak to the professionals in these arenas because, you know, that's what you need to do. But the fact is, and I think you said something right from the start, you said, I went to art school. I was learning, you know, visual arts and things like that. They don't teach you how to run a business. No, no, no. It's the same with like when I first started massage therapy. They touched on like literally touched on the idea of running a business. I think they just gave us some flyers about maybe applying for a tax file number or an ABN or something. But like nothing else was like, this is how you start your business. These are the elements that you would need to think about beyond like. Insurance and you know, your membership for the massage association. There just wasn't any other conversations around how would you start a business? Some of the key elements you'd have to think about, for example, like branding, marketing yourself, even like how to navigate social media. Like everything I've personally done within business. And I know you're the same it's because it's self taught at the end of the day. Completely. Yeah. Yeah. And you know, with any business that you have, you really want to make sure that you're making a profit. Otherwise you may as well go get a job. So again, you know, invest that time, energy, money with professionals. And I, when I first started, I tried to set up my own zero, biggest mistake of my life, waste a whole weekend. Yeah. So really, you know, set up your business properly so you can be making that profit. Otherwise go work for someone because it's a lot easier than having the stress of a business. So yeah, try set up things as best as possible as you can. And also things grow and change as well. So just because you're doing something now, it isn't set in stone. It always grows as your business does. I mean, ideal client has evolved over time. No, my business has grown over time as well, but I think instead of being stuck that things are going to be the same forever, just be open minded that to be flexible as well in that space. Yeah, absolutely. Oh, Tracy. Yes. What an amazing conversation we've had. Yeah, thank you. I've liked it. Oh my gosh, I can't believe the time's already gone. I could chat for longer. I know, right? I'm like, oh goodness, we could just be here all day. This always happens in my conversations. I look at the time and go, oh my goodness, we could just keep going. Yeah. It's because it's so easy to talk to you. Thank you for holding the space. Oh, you're welcome. I've really enjoyed our conversation. I love how you've, you Let us through your business journey and then really shared your personal growth and how you take care of yourself, your self care within creating, building and leading and running a business. And also just, you know, highlighting those important aspects between branding and marketing, all those little foundational fundamentals that we do need to know as business owners. So, yeah. I'm on a mission. Like there's not enough education around that. So through our webinars, through everything that we do, even our social media, it's all about education and really helping business owners because a lot of people are time poor and again, they don't know any better. So if through one of our channels we can educate someone on what branding actually is or how to add value to their lives, that's what we are focused on. Amazing. Thank you for being here to do this. That's okay. Thank you. I'm looking forward to having you on my one as well. Yes. I can't wait. I can't wait. That's in a few weeks time. Tracy, before you sign off, just share with the beautiful listeners where they can find you, how they can get in touch with you if they have questions or needing help around branding. Help us out here. Of course. So if you'd like to reach me personally, LinkedIn is probably the best place to go. So T R A C Y. No E please. Friar. So F R I A R. You can send me a message there. If you'd like to check out Design Studio Perth, you can head to our website or Instagram. And for my jewelry business, you can head to Trace Designs Bespoke. Yay. Amazing. so much. Thank you for having me. You're welcome. Thank you so much for tuning in and listening to today's episode. Please rate and review this podcast so that it can continue to thrive and reach more listeners. I love to know who my listeners are. So please screenshot this episode and tag me on Instagram at Anna F. Hastie. And I look forward to connecting with you in the next episode.