Siobhan Barnes  

Hello and welcome everyone to the Aligned Achiever Podcast. I’m your host, Siobhan Barnes, and I’m really excited to be welcoming a guest on the show today. 

And if you are sitting in your corporate job and wondering if you should leap into entrepreneurship and completely do a 180 then you’re absolutely going to love today’s episode with Elaine. 

So Elaine Champion is an ex corporate girl turned entrepreneur. She’s an accredited coach, facilitator, mom and mentor who specialises in helping professional women who are feeling stuck get unstuck. She’s a seasoned corporate leader and has 25 years of experience spanning across communications, training, leadership, organisation development, DEI and before she exited the corporate world, she was at Cathay Pacific airways, Hong Kong’s favourite airline and homegrown airline, as their head of leadership and organisational development, and also looked after their global DEI strategy. Elaine is half Chinese, half Scottish, and she’s married with two tween girls, and proudly calls Hong Kong home.

A very warm welcome, Elaine.

Elaine Champion

Thank you so much, Siobhan, it’s awesome to be here.

Siobhan Barnes  

Oh so so happy to have you on the podcast. Quick little back story. 

Elaine and I had never met before. Even though we’re born and raised in Hong Kong, we were like, we run in very similar circles, and when I met Elaine, honestly, it was just an instant connection. Elaine, I very much resonate with your message, so I’m really happy that you’re on today and can share a bit about your own journey to entrepreneurship.

Elaine Champion

I feel like we’re like two like bunnies, like big smiles, just waiting to go.

Siobhan Barnes 

I know exactly. And as I was reading your bio, I was like, Oh my gosh, there’s so many similarities as well. Like, I’m half Chinese, half Irish, so a little bit different, but, yeah, very similar. 

I want to jump right on in, because so many people are working in corporate jobs, they’re thinking about doing something different, and they feel completely stuck, and the idea of changing things up can feel like, Oh, that’s a nice, nice thing to do. Isn’t that a pipe dream? So I want to kick off by asking you, Elaine, like,

what was that defining moment when you realised that you needed to leave your corporate job and pursue something different?

Elaine Champion

Yeah, you know, I read that question, and I was like, was there a defining moment? And actually it was more like a slow burn, like, you know, that frog in boiling water type thing you don’t realise. Yeah, for me, it was actually quite long and painful. 

So I don’t have, like, a big, massive story to be like, this is when I decided it was, it was. I started to notice things. I started to notice I got a little bit more frustrated. You know, I loved my job. I loved the company I worked for for so many years. Like, I really loved it. I felt like I’d won the jackpot. 

And when that started to wear off a little bit. I was like, oh, what’s going on? And then also the girls started to get a little bit older, and, you know, they started to kind of notice when I wasn’t there as much. And things got a little bit more complicated as I got into that kind of tween stage. I just really started the guilt.

I mean, mums have lots of guilt anyway, whether you are in a corporate environment, or you’re a stay at home or whatever. But I just, it just started to get heavier, and I started to feel a little bit inauthentic, because on the outside, it looked like I had it all, right? 

Big job, really, great career succession, you know, I was doing really, what meaningful work I was in the leadership development and DEI space. I mean, it really was on paper, dreamy, but it just didn’t feel authentic on the inside. And I just kept hearing this whisper that I was meant for more but not more money, more status, more title, more brands. It was more like, more authentic work, more impactful, more personal, and maybe something even more challenging, as in trying it on my own. So that was kind of how it came about. 

Siobhan Barnes

And when did you hear that voice saying, Oh, you’re meant for more? Was it like on your way to work? Was it like in the shower? I’m curious how that voice came to you.

Elaine Champion

You know what, the shower.

And I asked somebody once about that, and someone who knows about this stuff, and they’re like, it’s because your body’s so relaxed, right? When you’re not in hamster wheel mode. You’re not just operating on that pre programmed set of behaviours. 

And yeah, so those quieter times where I would do a little bit of reflection, I’d be like, You know what? I just think there’s something else, just like this whisper got louder and louder and louder.

Siobhan Barnes

Yeah, super interesting. And I think there’s so much wisdom that can come from those quiet moments, like when you do have a chance to pause from the grind and let your brain talk to you, and your intuition can speak to you. 

So for you, I think a lot of people can have that voice and listen to that voice, but you actually did something with it.

So tell us about that journey to actually saying, okay, there is this voice I meant for something more. How did you follow that voice and do something with it?

Elaine Champion

Well, I didn’t know what more meant. I didn’t know what it was, and I’m and actually, that’s what I find a lot of people I work with now, they’re like, I don’t know what I want. I don’t. There’s no clarity. 

And I just knew that I wanted more time, I wanted more flexibility, I wanted more freedom. So it was those sort of things. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just knew I kind of almost needed the freedom. 

And it was COVID, right? COVID, you know, gave us all a lot of perspectives. Work From Home started to come in. So I started to get a taste of what it was like. And I started to think about part time work, which in Hong Kong isn’t really a thing, especially at the senior level. And so, you know, I did. I looked outside, I went to headhunters and recruiters, and thought, if I could work maybe three or four days a week, that would give me that extra time with the kids. That was kind of the driver. 

And I couldn’t find anything. And then someone said to me, why don’t you just ask your current employer? And I was like, Huh, no, no, no, no, it doesn’t exist here. It’s not a thing. And I realised I was so close minded because it didn’t exist. I was like, well, I just can’t have it. And I kept myself, I got in my own way, and I kept myself in that mindset for about another six to eight months, but niggle kept coming. Well, maybe, maybe, maybe there is a possibility, what if? What if you ask them? What if they said yes, but very quickly, what I now know as my inner critic were like, don’t be so ridiculous. You know, what are they going to think of you? They’re going to think you’re not loyal. They’re going to think you’re, you know, all this stuff. 

And then I just had a moment. I was like, Oh, screw it. Just going to do it. And so I did, I asked, and the answer was, yes, we can make that happen. And I was like, 

Siobhan Barnes

Oh, great, that easy, yeah.

Elaine Champion

I mean, it really was. It was like, within a week, we had a conversation, and there was like, What do you want? Like, how do we do this? And so we created this new role, which was the Global Head of DEI for Cathay, their first ever one, and their first ever part time in that sort of level. And that was amazing. And I was just like, wow, if I can do this, what else could we do? Type, yeah, so that was kind of the beginning of it, right?

Siobhan Barnes 

Oh, that’s so powerful. And even in just hearing you share that, Elaine, it’s what I’m hearing you say is that you know the opportunity wasn’t even on your awareness level because you were so sucked into like, this is how it is. This doesn’t exist. And you’re right. It isn’t that kind of culture in Hong Kong. 

But you are a culture changer, right? Like you actually did have the courage and the everyday brave to go, oh, actually, I am going to ask. And that’s so great that you got that validation. And, I mean, I think that’s a real key nugget for the listeners on the show to take away is that you don’t get, if you don’t ask, right? And you’ll never know, yeah, so you managed to have that taste. You got a little bit more of that freedom. 

It sounds like what happened then? Because now you’re running this business, you’re supporting other women, you work with clients, you know, you’re doing all of this amazing work. 

When did that idea to actually start a business and completely leave drop in for you?

Elaine Champion

Yeah, you know. So I’ve had a few people say to me, oh, so going part time is part of the strategy to then start business. I was like, No, it really wasn’t. I really, genuinely had no intention of leaving. I was just wanting extra freedom and time, you know, two days, and I got it, and I started to decompress a little bit those two days. I didn’t instantly go, Okay, what am I going to do with the time? 

I started going to Pilates. You know, my niece has type one diabetes, and my sister is her full time carer, and so we hung out a lot. I got to see my mom more. You know, I went for walks with the dog. I started to take courses that I was really interested in learning that never had time. I picked up the kids from school, which was one of my big dreams. I was like, at the gate, not in work clothes, you know, just all these things that really brought me joy. 

And then that started to give me space to be creative and to dream, and to be like, Well, what else should I do? And because I really believe this, because I sort of opened myself up to what is possible. 

My language probably changed without me even realising. I started to, you know, say, oh, wouldn’t it be interesting if I could maybe teach this or start a workshop here or this or that? And that’s how it people would be like, Oh, actually, I’ve got this thing, this workshop that you might be interested in facilitating, would you like to give it a go? I’m like, Yes. And then someone else would say, Hong Kong, you is looking for, you know, somebody to help with their MBA program. Do you want to give it a go? And I’m like, Yes. 

And so all just kind of started to flow. And then after, you know, six, eight months, I was like, Oh, maybe I can. Maybe I can do something on my own, right,

Siobhan Barnes 

Beautiful. That’s the power of taking a small, incremental step in the right direction, right and letting things unfold. 

I don’t know about you, but I find this in my own journey and working with clients, when they’re thinking about making a change in order to even take one step or even entertain the idea of something different, they feel like they need, like, the perfect plan and to know exactly how everything’s gong to go, calculate every risk and mitigate everything. And then it’s like, it’s so that perfectionistic tendency takes over, that inner critic that you mentioned, rings in the ear and there’s no action that’s taken. 

And then it’s like, the status quo. They stay in the same job, they stay more unhappy. Actually, the status quo is not the same. It’s actually like this decreasing curve of happiness.

So I don’t know if you found that with your clients that you work with as well?

Elaine Champion

Yeah, totally. I kind of call it the spiral. You just spiral around your head. 

And we spend so much trying time trying to figure out the how. Like, how am I going to do that? Like, for me, one of the biggest ones was, how am I going to afford to not have a salary? Like, how am I actually going to do that? Like, okay, maybe if I did this, and you spend so much time doing that, and actually what you’re doing is you’re, you’re not wasting energy, but you’re using up all your energy on something that doesn’t need to be solved yet. 

It’s, it’s really hard to explain, but I’ve, I’ve absolutely witnessed this myself, that if you just put one foot in front of the other and get on a path, whatever path that is, with curiosity to just see, then you might find that the next, you know, the next brick, will be laid for you, and then the next brick, and it might be you come to a dead end, and then you go backwards, right? And then you try another path. 

But the thing is, you know, I have the same with just taking imperfect action. It doesn’t need to you don’t need to know where you’re going to end up. You just need to start.

Siobhan Barnes

Yeah, perfect. And in your example, I think hearing your story is so helpful, Elaine, because it was, you know, you took that incremental step. You went down to part time. Then you had that time and space to pause, to think, and then, or what else can I do? And then you’re testing out these different ideas. 

And you didn’t have to quit your job right away, right and, like, forgo the corporate salary, like, right away, you literally tested it out and did it slowly. 

So how did you approach those initial fears and doubts of starting your own business? Like, tell us a little bit more about that, because I know once you once, if you have a steady corporate career, you use that paycheque coming in every month. Like, how did you deal with that?

Elaine Champion

Um, I’m quite determined. 

So I was just like, Okay, if you’re going to make a decision to do this, then you’re going to do it. Like you’re not going to not do it. There is no turning back. And people were saying to me, Oh, well, you know, worse comes to worst. You could always get another corporate job. I’m like, no not happening, you know, like, no, like, if I’m going to make this big, massive move, then I’m going to do it right. 

And so determination, belief that it will all work out somehow, as long as I keep my vision, and I’ve always had a longer vision, and so that vision is to be, you know, financially free, but also location free. And so, you know, my kids are going to, at some point, go to university in the next few years. We don’t know where we’re going to be. I don’t want to be tied to a place, even though Hong Kong is my absolute home. I’d love the choice to be able to work somewhere else for a few months, or whatever. So I wanted to be digital. And with those two things in mind, I just kind of went, Okay, let’s go. And it’s not going to be, you know, smooth sailing. There are going to be ups and downs, but just, just do it. Just get on with it.

Siobhan Barnes  

That’s amazing. I can hear the conviction and the self trust in your voice, actually, as you speak to that and I was going to ask you, like, what your personal values were that guided you in shaping your business vision. But actually, you’ve answered that perfectly. 

It’s like, you know you want that location, independence, the financial freedom, and obviously this work is near and dear to your heart, and this is very much a personal journey that you’ve been on and are now helping women, which is incredible. 

Did you do anything to prepare financially and emotionally when the time actually came and you were like, here’s my notice, I’m going to do this talk us through that process?

Elaine Champion

So I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I was going to have that financial stability. And I couldn’t work it out, because we, you know, we’re just normal for we don’t have an abundance of reserves. You know, my husband’s a teacher, so he has, you know, decent, regular income, but it’s not mind blowing. And we didn’t have, like, someone said to me, what’s your runway? I was like, what does that mean? They’re like, well, how much cash have you got in the bank that you cannot work. I was like, zero, like, there is no runway, yeah. 

And so what did I do? 

I saved up from leave. 

Yep, I think I saved up like, two months of leave. So that was paid out. So I had two months. My dream was to take six weeks off with the kids, because my husband’s a teacher and the kids take six weeks off summer. That was my dream. I you know, if someone people listening, if when you work in a full time job, it’s you just can’t even imagine what that feels like, right to take six weeks off. So I was like, and then take six weeks off. Gonna spend very, very little money, and then we’re going to figure it out.

And that was it. But because I was part time. I already had a few gigs going, Yeah, so there was a bit of money coming in, but it wasn’t a huge amount, but it was enough, like it was enough to just lower our living standards for a bit. And in the back of my mind, it’s always like my kids are watching, right? They’re watching me go through this transition. You know, my husband, I made this decision, and I want to show them what it’s like.

And so it’d be like, okay, you know, we’re going to not go out for dinner all the time. We’re not going to go and buy whatever you want or whatever it is. We’re going to actually just watch and go a little bit low key for a while as we transition. And I thought that was a good lesson for them as well.

Siobhan Barnes 

Yeah, absolutely. And it’s so beautiful. It sounds like you were all on board for that journey to support mum with her dream, right?

And that is such a powerful lesson for the girls to see that happening. And I think so often people let money be the sole decider of, you know, doing something or not doing something. And to your point, you can’t always plan things out, like sidebar, like Elaine and I actually met on a coaching engagement, which both of us did not plan for, and ended up being a dream, a dream client.

Do you want to share a little bit about that engagement, Elaine and like how that’s a I think that’s a perfect example of how you didn’t have the plan, but still landed this incredible opportunity?

Elaine Champion

So, yeah. I mean, a lot of it sounds like it was just like luck, but actually, I’m quite intentional with what I want.

So for example, you know, even before I came up with the idea of part time, I would carry around in my wallet a little piece of paper that I drew with colours of the things that are important to me. So like, what would my perfect days look like, and it involved meaningful work with with people I wanted to work with. It involved picking up the kids up a few days a week. It involved being able to exercise and being able to spend time with people I love, right? So it was like that.

That was the things that were important to me, and I would look at it every single day and not know how it was going to happen, but it was. So this client that came and approached both of us separately was kind of, my dream client, right? So Lululemon, as you of course, know, and I used to joke that I just want to wear activewear all day long. When I’m outside of corporate I just want to wear Lululemon all day long. Another one was Disney, because I just love what they stand for, and I love all that.

So I actually had, like, a hit list of people I wanted to work with, yeah, and I would write them down and stick them up on my desk. And so call it manifestation. Call it whatever, an invitation. I call it an invitation, an invitation to come into my world and for me to come into theirs. So, yeah, so I got this, this referral to Lululemon, and I guess you did the same. And yeah, out of everybody, they chose us, and we became coaches for their women off program. And it’s been just phenomenal.

Siobhan Barnes

Yeah, super phenomenal. And I love hearing that backstory for you. And I think hearing you talk you’ve you are very intentional, and I’ve seen you be very intentional, Elaine, in terms of, like, what you’re what you want to call in, but holding that faith and conviction that things will come. But of course, you’re not just going to sit there on your hands. You’re going to do something right, like what you can to influence that.

But for me, it was very similar. I remember holding this intention of, like, wanting to do corporate work, and, you know, go in and work with corporates who wanted to change the culture and, like, support women in leadership, because one of my frustrations is seeing amazing women bumping up against things that I can’t fix for them, like the culture of an organisation, or, you know, misogyny, or, like, patriarchal things that are still going on in workplaces today.

And so yeah, when that opportunity came around, I was like, wow, the power of intention. And, you know, just showing up and talking about what you love and finding yourself in spaces and opportunities, they do open up.

And I think that’s the power. I think you and I are similar and aligned in this way, and that, yes, we can be very strategic, but a lot of the work we do is actually getting people to, you know, remember who they are, and like dropping into that state, remembering the magic that they are and calling in these opportunities that they might not be able to see for themselves. So I really appreciate you sharing that story.

Elaine Champion

Yeah, and I think with that, you know, it to be a bit more tangible for people listening. I didn’t just sit there going, you know, Lululemon, Lululemon, the Women’s Foundation are the ones that brought us together. That’s where the referral came from. And you know, you’ve been working with them for a while. You know, in at Cafe, we were sponsoring their programs, and, you know, worked on their mentorship program with them, but in a corporate capacity, and I was always the kind of contact person, so I’ve been working with them for years, and I didn’t want to stop that relationship, despite my identity changing, and so I asked if I could come and have a cup of coffee with them, you know, and just kind of say, Look, I’m out on my own now.

And there was really no pitch. There was no, I had no real idea. It was just a chat, like, what’s going on for you, what’s happening. Where are you struggling? You know, what’s coming up, what exciting things are happening, you know, and vice versa, they were asking me, and that was it. The objective of the meeting was just a touch base and just to update each other on what we were doing. And I think it wasn’t for another four to six months that this referral came through. But had I not had that meeting with, and, you know, is in service.

I’m always thinking, Yes, I’m in service of people. So I’m here to serve. This is my, you know, this is how I make impact with whatever I can, whatever value I can bring. And that’s how I went into that meaning was being in service. And obviously, somewhere, you know, the person who decided to refer you, and I thought we would be a good fit. So it all kind of happens.

Siobhan Barnes  

Tue. And that’s, again, that energy that I’m hearing you speak of in terms of that meeting. It wasn’t like you went in with like this cold, hard pitch or sales pitch. It was very genuine. It sounds like you were very interested in them, letting them know what you were doing. And it was just mutually beneficial, which, again, if anybody’s thinking about making a change and like, oh, I don’t know how this is going to be possible.

Often people say, Oh, I’m going to be starting again. You’re not going to be starting again. People see you in the capacity that you show up in. They see the character that you are. They see your integrity. And don’t underestimate that who you are is enough, just as you are. And there are so many opportunities out there. It’s just like the dials on a on a radio, like you’re going to tune into a different frequency and station, and the opportunities are there. And so I love that. Absolutely love that you’ve said that.

Elaine Champion

You know, there’s that book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, right?

Yeah, I like to say what got you here will carry you there, actually, you know, you’re not starting again.

You take a lot of what you have learned over these years and experience and take it with you and evolve, right? Maybe that’s a better word, not, not restart. It’s evolved

Siobhan Barnes

Exactly, exactly. And there’s like , as women, like, we’re constantly evolving. We’re always in transition. There’s something new happening all the time. Even with kids getting to a different stage of life, it’s different to when they’re babies, right? So it is an evolution.

So Elaine, for you, how has this career shift impacted your sense of fulfilment and alignment in your personal and professional life?

Elaine Champion

Sometimes, and you’ve probably heard me say this quite a lot, just in the past few weeks. I’m like, Siobhan, it’s Tuesday morning, and we’re sat by the sea because we’re doing something, something’s coming up, and we’re planning to come we’ll tell you, wait a minute. And I’m like, and we’re working on something we’re both super passionate about. Like, how cool is that actually, you know?

And it’s just, it’s really fulfilling. It’s, I’m genuinely, really happy. There’s a lot to learn, and I can’t, I can’t deny that it hasn’t been challenging at times.

Yeah, I miss having a team. I really miss people. I miss the IT department. I miss the printer. You know, there’s, sometimes I feel really stupid because I just, I don’t know this world, right? And I’m like, having to really go in it as a student. But at the same time, that’s really invigorating, right? Because you realize how much there is outside of where you were, like, your your confinement, and outside, there’s just people to meet, there’s things to learn, there’s stuff to get your teeth into. And yeah, it’s it’s cool.

Siobhan Barnes

Yeah, that’s awesome. Well, thanks for speaking to that and sharing, like, the positives, and I have the same moment.

I, you know, do a little exercise with the kids every night around the dinner table. We do like, what’s your high, low,  Gruffalo, and I add a G for gratitude. So like, what’s your high for the day? What’s your low? The Gruffalo is your random, you know, random thing and Gratitude, what you’re grateful for.

And I remember speaking to them after we had that, you know, meeting, like collaborating and dreaming up, like this amazing thing that we’ll speak about in a moment. But it was, it was just like, Yeah, I got to collaborate with a friend, and I get that thing with the not having teammates, and, you know, the team that that’s been the hardest part for me as well.

Like, I love collaboration, so that’s why I’m really excited that you and I are, like, so aligned and connected and on the same page, and actually going to create something together, and actually on that, I think you and I, like on paper, we kind of do quite similar things.

And I think it’s also like this collab, like, what we’re looking to collaborate and do, it’s like just, again, the example of how it’s not competition, it’s like, it can be better together, right? Like, and we bring different perspectives, and we get to have fun in the journey. So we’re not on our own creating something. We’re we’re kind of bouncing ideas with each other, which I’m just so grateful for.

Elaine Champion

Yeah, and, you know, we’ve had great role models. Yeah, I think you see, when you see women say it’s just two, two women collab, two really powerful women, you know, like Danielle Canteen, Amy Sangster, when they collaborate, and they make such amazing stuff, and they help so many other people, and their business woman, and they’re making tons of money, and they’re bringing better stuff into this world.

Like, you know, there really is some magic in not competing with each other.

And actually, what’s the word like complimenting each other and lifting each other up? Yeah. And I just think there’s room for all of us at this table. Oh, for sure. And the more we come together, the stronger we’re going to be.

Siobhan Barnes  

Yeah, absolutely.

So do you want to give everyone a little insight into what it is that we’re doing?

Because they’re probably like, what is this collaboration like? Tell us more.

Elaine Champion

Well, we, let me say the back story of how it came up.

So we’re speaking of the teammates thing, right? So we exactly, you know, few people have said to me, entrepreneurs or solopreneurs, as we call our or they call us, we’re like, I really miss having a teammate that are there. So, you know, I was talking to a few people, I was like, why don’t we just get together every now and again and just work together and be teammates and kind of be on a whatsapp chat to share or ask questions or whatever, but not too big, not like a big organization, just like six of us, and then you and I and one other person were having a teammate kind of get together, and that person went off and had a quick zoom call, and we were just kind of randomly talking, right? And I think, I think I said, Oh, you know what, Siobhan, my dream would be to organize a retreat for professional women, like a different kind of retreat, yeah, when, like an unconventional retreat that was tailored to professional women, and you were like, Oh, what did you say?

Siobhan Barnes

 Yeah, I was like, Oh, my God, I’ve been wanting to do this for the longest time as well. And she and then you said, to do it together? I’m like, Yeah, let’s do it.

Elaine Champion

That simple.

Siobhan Barnes

Yeah.

Elaine Champion

So we are doing a retreat, and we’re doing it in January 2025 at a beautiful location, which will be revealed very soon, and it is exclusively going to be curated for professional women in Hong Kong or beyond, but it’ll be, it’ll be hosted in Hong Kong, so more details to that on that to come.

Siobhan Barnes 

For sure, and that will be, yeah, a personal strategy day where you get to have some time for you. And we talk about these principles, actually, that we’ve spoken about here, right?

Like, how do you get that clarity and create more of those shower moments? Like, for you creating space to hear that voice that’s coming through and saying, not this, maybe something else. And like, just creating some space to hear those intuitive nudges and really realign that 2025, for what it is that you really want to create and put you back in the schedule.

Because as women, that’s half the battle, I think, like making sure everyone else is taken care of, and we put ourselves bottom of the list. So yes, more on that to come.

And we will be running a free workshop, actually, where we’ll be sharing more about the retreat and talking about how to figure out your next career step. So if you would like to get your name over on to listen to that webinar and to hear more about the retreat. Come on over to the show notes at siobhanbarnes.com/119, and you’ll be able to get the link to sign up for that there.

So we’ve digressed a little bit, but we just got so excited about collaborating.

Elaine Champion

Honestly, I truly think this is going to change people’s lives. I really do. I think you and I are so aligned in that we just we really do want to give. We really want to be generous in service of people. You know, I call it, I love what you just said, scheduling yourself in.

I call it getting in the driving seat.

And, you know, really being intentional about how you want that year to be because too many of us go through our lives and it’s like, oh my god, it’s another year gone. Yeah?

So like, let’s make 2025, a year, where you actually design it and you actually live it. Like that’s, I don’t just that came out of the blue. Maybe that should be our, our sales copy, I don’t know, but I just really feel passionate about that.

Siobhan Barnes

Yeah, absolutely. And I think there’s something powerful about having a space to do this kind of work, because so often we’re just, like, toiling by ourselves, and we’re like, actually, I was on a call recently and someone was like, Oh, can I do this? Like, I have an idea, but am I allowed? You know, who am I? You know, I’ve got to look after my kids. I’ve got to look after my husband.

And it’s like, no, you deserve to take up space.

So that’s kind of the premise behind the retreat. And during the webinar, we’ll be talking about how to figure out your next career stuff step based on that, it’s going to be amazing.

So Elaine, like, what advice would you give to professional women who want to leap into entrepreneurship or they want to do something different that feels more aligned to their true aspirations, but they’re hesitant to make that leap?

Elaine Champion

So if people, if you know me, or you see my stuff on LinkedIn, or whatever I always talk about, dare to dream.

And what that means, really, is, you know, sometimes we don’t even allow ourselves to think about what we really want. You know, we don’t even, you know, allow ourselves to have the courage. I believe we all have courage. We just don’t allow ourselves to have the courage or even use the courage.

So the advice I would give is to do something really simple, which is just to pause, like, just stop, just go down. Yeah, pause for a minute. And however you want to do that, but it’s space, right? It’s creating the space for yourself to really, really think about what is important to you, because it’s different.

You know, you may have you may Oh no, I know what’s important, but what was important to you five years ago is going to be really different from what it is today.

And those of us who are perhaps looking a little bit more in the future, whether you’re starting a family or your kids getting older, or you don’t want to have children and you want, you know, a different kind of career path you want to travel, whatever it’s what is important to you in the areas of your life, right, in your relationships, in your work, and yourself, in your learning and your contribution and your community, what’s important. And once you’ve, you know, spent some time trying to figure that out.

And I think actually, when we do our webinar, we’re going to be spending some time on this. So if you need help on it, please, please do come along, because it’s a really simple exercise, but it it gives people so much clarity, because it’s like, oh, right, what I’ve been putting my energy and time and investments in is actually not what’s important to me.

It’s what I feel like I should be doing, or it’s what my family tell me is important, or it’s what society tells me it’s important. So pause, get real with yourself, figure out what’s important first, and from there, paths will start to open.

Siobhan Barnes

Really great advice. Thank you for sharing that.

And if you’re listening, going, I haven’t got time to pause. I’m too busy. There is power in the pause. And actually, Elaine, I was wondering if you could speak to that.

I remember you sharing a story about like the bus on the way home, which is, I think, a great example of pausing and actually taking some time, and how actually taking time and doing something inefficiently can actually be beneficial.

Elaine Champion

Yeah, so when I was at kind of the height of my lack of clarity, when I was in corporate, my children were young, so I was had no intention of leaving. I was very much on the career ladder. Really loved my job, high intensity, and we had moved as close as possible to the office, so it was a five minute cab ride, because I had like, a two year old and a five year old at home, right?

For those of you who understand that stage, it is probably one of the most hectic stages, because they’re toddlers and they’re just, they just, they’re kids, and I would be like, getting through the door, rushing in at, you know, the witching hour, so dinner time, bath time, everything was just chaotic.

I was still stressed. I still had unfinished work, and I was working with a coach at the time, so I had a coach because I believe everybody should have a coach, somebody to talk to.

And she said to me, well, what could you do to increase your capacity?

Really did feel like punching her in the face, because I was like, What are you talking about? I am lit. I sleep like five hours a night. I work 12 hours a day. You know, I feel like I don’t have any more capacity. And what she was trying to get at was that we can only control what we can control within our environment, right? And that we actually do have the power to pause and to look at things and to see how we might do things differently.

She started to ask me about how else I could get home. I was like, I could walk, and that’d be 40 minutes. So, do I wear, heels? I could take this mini bus, but that kind of goes the wrong way around and takes 25 minutes, and it’s so inefficient. Like, why would I do that? Okay, I save money, but that’s not so important right now. It’s, I’m a mom. I need to get home ASAP. Mom guilts too much, you know, yeah.

And she’s like, well, what would happen if you went on the bus? And I was so close to the idea, I was like, it’s all about efficiency, it’s all about gaining time. And she’s like, do me a favour, and just try. Begrudgingly, I tried for a week, and what happened was I finished my emails on the bus, you know, I stared out the window, I listened to some music, I just decompressed.

And the difference for when I walked through that door, I was way more present. I was way more stressed, you know, it was just phenomenal. And I was like, huh, 25 minutes of my day made such a big difference when it’s something that I just saw is so silly, you know, like, why would I take a bus when I could take a gap type thing.

Siobhan Barnes

Yeah, but when you told me that story, it really stuck with me, because it just goes to show that it’s not all about efficiency and just taking the fastest route from A to B, and actually, 95% of our actions are the same actions we took yesterday. And to your point, like we might have set those habits up five years ago when our goals were very different and we were a different person, and we don’t stop and think so there is definitely power in the pause and just checking in with yourself.

So I really appreciate you sharing that advice. And yeah, very, very, very powerful.

So, Elaine, we’re coming to the end of the interview, and I wanted to ask you to share, like how people can come and follow you and find you and your amazing work.

What’s the best way for people to come and connect with you?

Elaine Champion

So because I work most with professional women, so I’m very much on LinkedIn. So it’s just Elaine Champion on LinkedIn, you should find me there quite easily. I have a website, elaine-champion.com and hopefully we, you know, have piqued some people’s interest, and they’ll come to this, these webinars that we’re doing on the 19th and 21st November. Yeah. So yeah, you can find me there all through Siobhan,

Siobhan Barnes

Yes, absolutely. I’ll pop a link to how you can contact Elaine in the show notes. Again. Siobhan barnes.com/119, and as Elaine has mentioned, we’ve got this webinar coming up how to figure out your next career step. We’re going to be running that on the 19th and the 21st of November, and we’ll be sharing more about how you can take a pause and what you need to do.

Elaine’s got an awesome exercise to help you figure out which you know what your priorities are. And we’ll speak more about the retreat. For those of you in Hong Kong, we’d love for you to have come and join us. And for those of you in the region, you’re very, very welcome to stop by as well. It’s going to be an amazing day and an amazing event with lots of incredible women, and I think many opportunities.

So as we close Elaine, any like final parting words for our audience before we wrap?

Elaine Champion

Oh, just, you know, dare to dream. Why the hell not?

You know, like say, say out loud that thing that you’re too embarrassed, too scared to be judged. Just say it to yourself. Just say it in the shower tonight, right? Just say, I want to whatever it is, you know, just be, just be a little bit bold. Love that and see where it takes you.

Siobhan Barnes

Love that. Dare to dream.

Well, you are the walking embodiment of that motto, Elaine, and thank you for showing us what’s possible when we do dare to dream. And I really appreciate you sharing so vulnerably and honestly, your journey with us here on the podcast today.

Elaine Champion

My absolute pleasure. As I’ve said to you so many times in the past couple of months, I’m just so thrilled to be in your world

Siobhan Barnes

Thanks Elaine, you too.