Boys and girls, welcome back to inspiration space. I just had a week. I was lucky enough to have an intern come down to the gym for five days. So I had him from Monday to Friday. He introduced himself to me when I went back to my old school to go and do a little talk. I was right down to do a talk about you know that fitness and health industry. So, you know answer any questions any of the kids may have had who was thinking about coming into the sector to be honest when I was back at school. We some of these torches to come about and I used to do it simply get up to get out of doing any homework, but I think actually it was done in the right way. We got asked a lot of questions and they seem to find it quite interesting and this kid came up to me after I done my talk. And yeah, you seem really stupid Keen to come down. Um learn stuff and get involved and get really stuck in and have a huge amount of respect for people of that age that are hungry and want to get involved. So yeah, he came down and you know in all honesty for the week came around I was a little bit sort of like, you know, what's the approach? I should take that with this kid. I mean, you know quite busy. I don't want to have him sitting around doing nothing. So basically from the outset I decided that I would get him to come down for three to four hours. A day only I wanted to come train doing there 45 Concepts, you know really get an understanding for the system's soak it up be around the club, but I also want to sit down with him for one to two hours and give him some solid solid time and be present and kind of given bit of background on what the business is about where the health and fitness sector is currently in the sort of Boutique market and then I wanted to just sort of dissect the different areas whether it be Marketing sales. Management whatever it may be, you know, the general operations day-to-day running the club what are all kind of involves but more than anything. I wanted to kind of leave him throughout the the end of the week. I wanted its kind of I wanted to communicate with him properly what I really wish. I had been told and and sort of taught at that age when you know when I was in internships, I kind of felt like I was being Wrapped in Cotton wool and I was being kind of protected from what the Working World is all about, you know, obviously why it is different to it sort of corporate life. But you know the end of the day still life, you know life has the same lessons no matter what you do. So, I mean I decided that I was going to kind of I wouldn't say no way was it condescending and you know at the end of the day, I've always said through this podcast. I'm learning constantly. I definitely don't have the right answers to anything or the Perfect answers to anything. You know, I'm really working it out as I go along but you know, there are certain things and mantras that I live my life by and if there's any help I could give this kid, you know going into uni, which I think some like I've discussed in this podcast is quite a scary time, you know, and definitely the years ask you need to kind of coming into this working world and you kindly get a bit lost and lot of people come out of University with a sense of entitlement and they're really struck down and they realized that nothing is going to be harder than Has them on a silver platter and you know, it's where a lot of this anxiety and depression in our society in that age bracket comes from so there was a couple of messages that I really left them with and I kind of wanted to communicate mon here as it's what I what I wish I was told when I was doing an internship. So first of all, I think I communicated with him. I said, you know the end of the day. Yeah, we're doing very well in this business, but we my God do not have it all figured out. We really don't I mean we're still Hang on a daily basis in regards to so many little aspects that we're still not getting right. So we're learning along the way and we put a sort of meant it's important to have that mentality that growth of melt mindset, which I'm always talking about on this show is very important to have that mentality that you're going to fail. You need to learn from a quickly move on try and get better in every Department of what you're doing. And anyone that does say they have it all figured out and that is Someone you truly do not want to be around in all honesty in the long term. Look, it's great to have confidence in what you're doing. But if you have that approach to we are still figuring out we are constantly trying to get better and you involved with an organization and Leadership. He thinks like that then you're in a really nice place to be so that's something I really try to push forward from the almost the first conversation we had you know, like and we ran through anything sales Market marketing related management related, you know. We've done well, but we certainly haven't got it perfecting with China get better. So yeah, that was a big message to try to put forward the second one was, you know in life and whatever there is not one specific method to achieve every task. I mean some tasks. Yeah, there's there are methods to do it. But there's not just one method, you know, if you're given a task to do as an intern or you know, you know, whether it be five years into a job, you know, the The difference in mentality between the two is remarkable. And when I remember first going to my first job, I was are given simple task and and I would stress and overthinking are what's this? This may not be the right method look at the end of the day if you go from A to B and get the task done. That's what employers look for. That's what that's what anyone looks for people that get the job done by any means necessary obviously keeping him morality and tapped and all that obviously, but at the end of the day any task If you get from A to B, that is what is important don't owe don't overthink it just think about getting the job done number three. I mean, this is the thing that I've realized more than anything that's got me where I am today and it's keeping me moving forward and the reason opportunity is still come around for me and hopefully always will communication skills are completely and utterly invaluable. I could do a whole podcast on this quite literally I can speak for hours on it. I'm but if you can find you in the way you communicate with people whether that be verbal nonverbal. That is an area that they should be teaching school University. It should be taught everywhere. It is the number one number one thing that I look for. Obviously. I'm in a very very personable business. You know, I mean, it's a it's a belly-to-belly face-to-face business, you know, you need to be able to communicate with people but in any job If people are not looking for the importance of communication skills, what the hell are you doing? You know it is it's invaluable. It really really assert. I sat down I spoke to my said look watch how people interact in this place. Look at you know, my team, you know, Hannah are be look at these guys to copy. They handle themselves. Look how they communicate with the members. It makes their day and and being able to communicate effectively and make people feel good about themselves and make people comfortable in your company is by far one of the most amazing skills to have so, you know to any intern to to anyone. I mean the even though this is what I wish I'd been told as an intern as a topic for this podcast, you know, this is relevant to anyone, you know, the next Point I've made down and I said to him I said listen and smile and ask Questions, you know you if you care about people and they feel like you care about them sincerely then then the world is your oyster, you know, opportunities are endless and I'm learn this from podcast. I listened to the last 10 years, you know, that is number one thing I've developed and I've nurtured and made sure that I've constantly working on, you know, read How to Win Friends and Influence People if you haven't already as being on this podcast and spoken about it so many times read that book and don't just read it. It do it. It's unbelievable. There are others out there. Do you research read go and just go in absolutely absorb anything and everything about communication verbal and nonverbal guys. It's everything and the last and the last thing that I left this kid with who came to me for a whole week is look regardless, if you come into the health and fitness industry, this is what you want to do. Fantastic. But the one thing I wish more than anything that I've been told anything, I with I wish I'd been told is life is not linear. If you think that you are going to go from school to University ends with grab job and work your way up through you know that you were going to be let down you were going to be let down because you're going to fall on your face you're going to work that could be anything falling on your face that could be, you know, if you view the world. That way these going to be linear. If you go into that job, you're in that gradual for years and you suddenly realize oh my God, like I do not want to do this for us in my life. And then you go through mental turmoil that could be falling on your face that could be, you know your block, you know, it is never going to be smooth and going up through in that linear process your whole life. It's just not so expect to for things to get in the way for things to change. You know, you might you might change career paths for five times. I've got mail dates that have done five different jobs in five years and now they finally land on their feet and they're in something they absolutely adore. You know, I'm the same I went well, even though I've jumped in and out the fitness industry. I did three different jobs, you know, I was in a job three weeks. I was just I was selling Tech in firing them. You know, it was not what I wanted to do is quite simple as that, you know, do not be afraid. Okay, if if you obviously you want to stick with something and give it your all. I mean, I always be believen that but Don't Be Afraid like to not be linear in the way you live life if you think that Due to these no societal pressures that that's what you have to do. You have to go to school you had to go to UNI. You have to go into your grad level job and you had to work your way up through the ranks of you think like that. You're in you're in trouble you're in trouble and you're quite simply not living your life to the fullest. Do you really not and that's not saying that you know, that's all wrong. You know, if you wanted to go into school into unions will graduate and work without through thanks. There's nothing wrong with that but it's okay. It's okay to not live your Life in that linear fashion fail make mistakes learn from them move on get better improve as a person. So that is my message for the day. I think. Well, I know this kid had a great time the week you have with us. I feel like you got a lot. You know, I gave him no solid in present time with me. You took what he kept from it, and he's getting hopefully he's looking forward to coming back here. She said to me at the end of the day of the week. You said you know, it was I've done you know jobs before in my summer holidays and stuff and like, you know, they felt like a slog but you know, what we do here is he couldn't wait to get in there every single day and he felt like he was respected by everyone and in the organization and he felt like he kind of was part of something so, you know for me that was really valuable exercise a little bit kind of like, oh, I don't know if I've got the time to give this kid everything once but it approached in a mindset of you know, I'm going to give him a solid. I'm and I just wanted to get the most out of it and learn a few things and realize that you know, look there's some really exciting places to go, you know, after school and University and you know, however, however the way you get to where he is going to be happy. That's the that's the route. He should take OK guys. Hope that was a not too much of a rant for you. If you could please share this episode around, you know, share it around mention it to mates. Please give us a five star rating review. If you haven't already it means I can come on get some fantastic guess which I've got coming up. I got some really exciting guests coming on all all stuff that you guys will be wanting to hear. So yeah, I'm excited to be releasing note, but have a wonderful bank holiday weekend if you aren't already and I will catch up to you next week.
When I was an intern I felt so unwanted. I was well aware that I was an added stress. My mindset was that I just wanted to get stuck in and help as much as I could. Understandably I couldn't just step in and take big projects on with little to no experience. However I wish I had been treated with a great deal of honesty and transparency, this is something that ran over into my first few jobs too. So 10 years on I had the privilege of having my first ever intern come down. I realised how busy the week was going to be but I was determined to treat him with respect, honesty and transparency. I wasn't going to simply get him to run for coffees and do the towels. I mean he did do those things but I also took 1-2 hours a day to talk to him about the industry we were in, the different areas of the business we have to consider and also how we run the business day in day out. More than anything I wanted to share some honest messages that I wish I'd been told at that age. In no way was I being condescending and claiming I had all the answers... if you know me you will know that is not my way. But I did have some things I wanted to pass on to him from my own experiences. 1. Those that claim they do are ones who will damage you long term. 2. There is not one method to achieve a task. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and ask 'why' to conventional methods. 3. Communication skills are invaluable. Verbal and non verbal. If you nurture these skills opportunities will open up in front of you. 4. Listen, smile and ask questions. Care about people. Life is not linear. Expect failure and don’t think that there is going be one clear route. Enjoy guys and give this podcast a 5* rating and review. 