How To Find The Courage To Start Again with Lucy Hutchings Hunt

Hi. I'm Kerry Murphy and welcome, to spotlight, where, we bring you incredible, entrepreneurs. And their stories, and you, know we've all heard, eight out of ten businesses fail within the first five, years that's. A pretty daunting, statistic. And if, you're one of those people it's even more daunting how, do you move past that how do you get over that fear of failure and. Insignificance. Quite. Honestly well, today we are with Lucy, Hutchings, hunt who has been there done, that she's also the CEO of systemized. And the co-founder, of the goddess formula and I'm so excited for her to share her incredible story with you today hey, Lucy thanks so much for joining us today I love. Your story I also love your accent, so I'm excited too to hear more of that today but tell us a little bit about your, journey you've been a business, owner for a long time but, you also you. Know like so many people out there you, know had a failure, at one point tell, us a little bit about that hmm so. I in. My 20s, so I'm, maybe. I shouldn't tell you exactly how old I am now but let's, say it was at least 15 years ago, launched. My first business, and it. Was an online business and I was doing that in a marketplace that was very very new to me in. Fact it was new to everyone because let's face it 2005. Is, it. When. I first started the business I first put the plans in place for it was an online women's magazine, based. In London in England and. When. I first put the plans in place for that I had no, idea about digital I had no idea about how, to build a website or how to bring, a digital business together and I. Was very unaware of the fact that within, the timeframe that it took me to launch that business the, entire. Internet. Landscape was just about to change right yeah so it went from websites, being two-dimensional. You know online, handshakes. If you like to use a generated, content, you. Know when I when I conceived, at the idea for my business the. Idea of a blog didn't even exist which, is crazy because now there are thousands. Of blogs out there this is it and in the space in, which I developed, the platform, for launching my business the time frame that we developed, that platform you know by the time that I launched blogs did exist right, so I had.

Invested. A lot of money in a technical. Framework that, was basically redundant, at the point at which we launched. The business. And. It was it. Was kind of doomed to fail from that, perspective. From. The beginning right. It. Was really hard for me to, get my head around that because I don't think anyone, had really got their head around how, the internet, was going to change in. 2005-2006. With the onset of user-generated content, you know this, was when Google was still really small you know right is it when you had to like plug in and like dial-up. Little. Bit off to that okay Internet wasn't as slow as yeah. Yeah I knew I would know what you're talking about yeah. We. Were a bit further forward but you know it was literally. What's happened in the last 10. 14. Years or 2018, now yeah has. Is, just we had no idea any of this was gonna sure you know Facebook it hadn't started right. Social. Media I think MySpace was around but it year again that was a very different myspace, was just gaining momentum. Momentum yeah point so it, was a really, really different technical landscape to be launching a business in and I was entering a brave new world and. You. Know I, just want to say this you know it was really. Before. I even entered that brave, new world of technology. That I had no idea about it, was actually a really big. Leap for me to be even starting my own business sure, as it is for so many people yeah, I mean and you were in your 20s at this point right, so you're like I'm gonna not only were you innovative, you're like I'm gonna think of something that, no one else is really doing I'm gonna do it on a platform that, at the time was just growing. In ways that like you said you couldn't have foreseen, the. Changes, that were going to happen, and. The. You know if you'd have met me sort, of two or three years before I launched that first business, you. Know the person that launched that business was unrecognizable. From the from, the girl if you like who, was, who. You'd, have met two or three years before because I had, been in a really bad way for a long time you know my I I'd had as. A girl I had any disorder that was. You. Know it was. It. It, just stopped me from being it, stopped me from living in my potential sure it yeah, and you. Know the journey that I went through in my early 20s to. Come. To terms with that eating disorder manage that manage my addictive personality. So, launching, this business was very much my kind of I've, beaten, these demons and this, is my this. Is how I'm gonna make my impact in the world and so for me that was very much, was. Very personal, it was like you know this is how I'm gonna validate myself really absolutely, yeah and so, I had an enormous amount tied to, the success of that first business mmm-hmm because. Yeah. It was me saying to the world I'm, not that person that was living with all of those crazy. Demons, and. And. Watch me now watch me now right, so, what happened, so. I. Launched, the business we. You, know we, we, grew exponentially, to begin with because. On the surface it was great, and it was new, and we. Basically built a subscriber database, of 10,000. Women. Based in London and. You. Know it really it. Really did well on paper or sort, of on the surface level but as. I say an enormous amount of money had been invested into the technology that, was changing that had changed all simultaneously. That we launched and so. The. Bottom line is Kerry I just I I was still quite fragile because it was I was a very new recovered. Person. From, my addictions. And I. Just. Did not have the toolkit and I didn't have the maturity possibly. To do. What I needed to do to keep that.

Ship. From ranking, and. Ultimately. I kept going at the helm for two or three years and, you. Know I just as, I said I just did not have the resources to, make, it work at that point and it was extremely. Exhausting. Painful and a really really hard learning experience, for me yeah I've been I've been through that TOC, and I think that there's a time where when you're especially when you're young but I think at any time when you say okay I'm gonna do there's that fire and there's that excitement, that. Gets you so far right. And then, you, know when you don't have mentors, and you don't have the structure and technology. Is changing faster than you can possibly keep up with you, know it's, it's. It gets hard you know and like me you know I also, lost a business and it is it's. Gutting, like it's it's you feel like you lose a part of yourself I. Write. Because we rap so much of who we are into. Our businesses, and so. You've, obviously come, out on the other side you have an incredible, company now and you're a co-founder, of the goddess formula which I can't wait to share with you. But. How did you how, did you move forward. From that Lucy because I'm sure there were people family, friends that were like honey, like why don't you go get a real job you've, just lost that business, you've lost you know a lot of money like just to go back and do something easy yeah, yeah. So. That's, exactly what I did do for a period of time okay it's exactly what I did do I know not. To say that real, jobs. No. Disrespect. Yes and that's. Just what the universe had in store for me because I needed to learn more lessons yeah and I needed to have. More exposure to the corporate world and I needed to. Build. On the. Fire. And the energy that I had but that that would only get me so far right, and, so. I, through. My network of amazing, women that I had built up with. With my online women's magazine in London I, was. Introduced, to a, fabulous, man who was the CEO of a large global. Reinsurance, company and I went to work as his executive, assistant. Now. It. Was a great job because what what that did you. Know I love I'm very. You. Know I have lots of different interests and working, at that senior level at that really high level CEO yeah in a global corporate I was. On my toes the whole time and I was also following the trajectory of his career so you know even though I wasn't actually doing, the job of being a CEO of a global corporate, I was very close to the coal thing and you could see what, decisions. He was making and how he was making that and then so much from him sure so. He was kind of like a mentor, yeah, whether knew it or not, at. Least you were getting paid for that. So. Thank you let me say, um. But. Yeah I learned a lot about how. He. Was running the company how he was, interacting. With those, c-suite, level people, and and. Also just you know I observed, from afar because although I do talk a lot I do listen as well watch other people watching, and. That that was just it was just a really important experience for me too -.

Just Knuckle down and be in a corporate for three years and, really. Kind of get, my confidence back my bank balance back up to a, you, know a really healthy place right because, at, this point definitely, my. Bank balance equated, with my self-worth, you. Know so when I lost all of that money and you're invested a lot of money of personal, money and I also had investors who'd invested in the company and their, money had gone down with the failure of my tech platform and them, you. Know so -. To see my bank balance going up again. Was. Really rewarding sure, and just your confidence kind of started going back up again - so, you've dealt with some you, know like you said some demons like your eating disorder depression. You. Know after going through something like that Lucy, and again I know that you're not alone in going, through those things you're, a mom like you know how, did you decide and when did you decide to, say okay I'm, gonna, do this again I'm gonna I'm gonna overcome, this failure. That I feel like I had and take, this new knowledge from, working at this new you, know organization. And start. Another. Digital, company okay, so. It. Wasn't overnight you, know and actually what was interesting is, I think I delayed the grief of my business. Failing, for. For, quite a while because what. Happened was my. Business I well my business up I got married to. A wonderful, man and I, got this job working, in a very busy global, corporate all. About all at the same time it. Was a great distraction yeah absolutely distracted. From the reality, of the failure of that business if I just filled in all the gaps I you know I I was, just blocking out the noise right and it wasn't until sort of a, couple, of years after I'd got married and things had settled down. That I actually just kind of really, came. Face-to-face. With the grief of having lost that business because, I was too busy before you know, dealing. With other stuff and and right and I'm, backing it away quite frankly but sure so I hadn't processed it at all um so. When I took, time out after. A couple of years to. Have my first baby and I. Was. On maternity leave and. You. Know I've made that sort of conscious decision that I wanted to leave. Corporate, life and be, or. At least I thought I wanted to be at that time a stay-at-home mum. It. Was then I had more time on my hands to sort of actually, process, what, had happened, mm-hmm. Now. Simultaneous. To making, that decision to be a stay-at-home mum my bank balance, exactly. Yes that, does seem to happen when we stopped working the money stops coming in. You. Know so my, demons were coming back up after this, the failure, you know and. Also you know your hormones are all over the place after you've had a baby yes you know everybody. Knows that so I, I, I sort of hit a bit of a low if I'm honest you know it was like right I have no money. I'm, a failed, business, person you, know as much as I love that corporate, role I'm not sure that I want to go back into it now that I'm a mom but I. Can't start another business because, you, know look what happened last time what, am I gonna do oh.

Damn. You. Know just. Suck it up so what did you do so what I did was I, in. Quick succession had two more babies. She's. Like I'll just have more babies right. Yes. Yes I did I just thought you know just whack. Them out right, boom. I got Elsa five right, so you know procreation. Is kind of a big, thing in our. It. Was kind of like this is what it's suspected of me sharing my babies Anna and I do not regret any of my babies I absolutely adore them but I also. After, my third baby that's, when I hit my real rock bottom that's when I really. Was like okay now. It's, really. Hard to go back into a well-paying, job because I have three babies. Our childcare and you know, logistics. And blah blah blah and and, it. Was at that point I was like okay you. Either just, sit here being miserable, because you don't feel that you can earn what you're worth, right the, kind of job that you could do, that. Would fit this kind of life will, you start you in business again I think there are so many women that feel that way you know you you have children, you love them but. You lose your, own identity, you know you start, becoming. A full-time mom and if you, do have that entrepreneur, spirit spirit. And you, absolutely do Lucy and the technology, and that that in fulfillment. Of feeling. Valued outside, of your children, I. Know a lot of women struggle with this and that's why I want to bring that up because I think there is that sense of Who am I after, you have children and there's a lot of depression that comes with that loneliness. That comes with that you. Had a failed business, already, so. What. Was that pivot, point for you when did you say okay I'm gonna, stop feeling sorry for myself I'm gonna take, radical, action and, start, another digital. Company and I love how, you're so passionate, about technology, because I again I feel like a lot of women are scared by technology, and they don't feel like they can run a technology, company and.

And You do so let's, go back to that what was the pivot point for you when you said okay I'm doing it and and. Then let's talk about the technology piece a little bit yeah so I, I. Did some consulting work. Just. You. Know a friend of a friend said, look. Would, you like to come and just help us with our systems a bit you know we know you've worked in corporates we know that you had your experience with your own starter, would you like to come and and see, if you can see, the wood for the trees in our small. To medium size business and. Help. Us kind of connect. The dots so I went into that company and I, started. On this trajectory, of helping them with their systems and what. Was interesting was, although. I was working it was all men by the way right and, you. Know I wasn't charging me much of my time and quite frankly I was still really lacking in confidence as to what I knew and bear in mind I've been out of the workplace for quite a few years yeah right and, it became very quickly, evident to me, I really, knew, my. You. Are. You're. Like damn I am good yeah. Not only this you know over over that period of time when I hadn't been earning I've. Been doing all of this for free for friends so people knew that I could do websites cuz I had to teach myself to code you know one night when I was running out of money in the first business right they keep it going as long as I did, I couldn't, afford to pay my my tech people anymore so I had to teach myself to code so I've, been doing this as favors, for friends and, you, know it's like what would you know and charging, nothing, to nothing right for. The hope for the whole time but so you. Know so it was going into that corporate, environment again and realizing. Actually. I do know my staff and. Maybe. There is a real business in this maybe I have, some value and actually, I could charge people for this properly. Right not give it away for free can. You relate right you you realize you're doing all these things whether, it's creating jewelry, or baking, or technology. Or business advice. And you're realizing damn. I know my stuff like I should be charging more for this and I have to say working with literally, thousands of entrepreneurs Lucy, it's something that most women we don't charge enough we don't value ourselves we. Say you know what I'll just do it for free or I'll just you know I'll just charge you a little bit so, again, I'm so curious to know when, did you say you, know what I'm gonna start charging my worth and I'm gonna build this as a business so.

It Was really hard to do that you. Know people close to me I. Won't name any names but people who really have my best interests at heart were very afraid, for me starting, another business sure, because. You feel that the last one yeah, and I hit, bottom around it you know and they, they wanted the best for me but they were saying. Things like but, wouldn't it be easier if you you know I love poetry you love writing I did an English degree what, about becoming an English teacher because that is a safe job at what my kids and you, know you. Know or why, not just get a secretarial. Job again where you, can have, a regular. Income coming in and it's less, risk right and. I was up against that from quite a lot of corners, but. There was something in me that said look. Do. You know what I can't the, worst thing for me is living with this sense of unfulfilled potential, you. Know and when I you, know this, I kept. Rolling the clock forward and thinking when, I'm on my deathbed how do I want to look back on my life you. Know do, I want to be do. I want to have thought that I've done that very very, worthy and really, important secretarial, job of my life and I'm not denigrating anyone, that does sector jobs and I am myself and I really enjoyed them and they're, really important sure but it. Isn't what, I was meant to be doing and I knew that you know I just know that that's not my destiny and, I thought it's now whenever I have to do this because. I'm. Going. To go, mad, if I don't right and, I know again, there, are women out there watching right now and man too who feel that way like I'm gonna go mad I'm gonna go crazy if I do not feel. Like I'm fulfilling my greatest, and highest use on this planet and that's why we're here we talk about that all the time right like that's we, all have these amazing gifts and when you have that burning desire to do something it's. Because, you probably should, right, so let's, fast forward a little bit Lucy's so you have systemized, and you, help people with their digital content, their websites, at. What point did you just say now I want to be you know co-founder, of the goddess formula and what is that okay. So I, often. Four, years of running systemized, which by the way was really. Which. Is that's a very successful name yeah it's very successful we, have an office in York, we, have we, have global clients and we have yeah. We have teams yeah based around the world so it's amazing. Congratulations. Delicious. It's. An amazing achievement but, when. It. Was about a year ago and I suddenly thought you know what if, I. Can. Build a successful digital agency, not bear in mind I was, you, know riddled, with my addiction, demons, I was, severely. Postnatally. Depressed after my third child, you, know I'd had a failed business before so my confidence levels were. At an all-time low and I started again but. If. I could do it and when I look at my you. Know look looked at where systemize was. And have this you know be helping all these clients and be. Driving. Forward. Within my with my digital agency, then. I know other women can do this right and we need. More women at the helm of the, digital world and technology you know, you. Know it, has not been easy but. I suddenly, felt this really profound compulsion, just. To, get that message out you know to women who are, maybe afraid to, start again or afraid to start who, just haven't given themselves permission, to.

Do. What it is that they, know in their core they are meant to do mm-hmm and I, think there are so many women who think Who. Am I to do that and why, should why. You, know it because it's all about self-worth everything I have yeah and the thing is men, on the whole are much. More you. Know if, a man wants to start a business no one no one questions that but. As a woman if you especially if you're a stay-at-home mom. You. Know it's a bit like well that's. Nice dear you know what, does your husband do alright, which. Is crazy that in this time in the world that we still have those. Judgements, yeah right and those preconceived. Notions up you know and you should just stay home or even if people don't necessarily say, that they might be thinking sure sure and it's, you know this is a long there's a there's a massive backstory to that that goes back centuries in, terms of, roles. Yeah yeah. So if you do have an, idea a vision for. A business and it's. Burning now inside you you, know I believe that is that's a kind of divine download that's yeah I agree yeah yeah and it's. It's I just find it so tragic that people. Don't. Give themselves the chance to, bring those to fruition and bear, in mind I'm not saying remortgage. Your house risk, everything to. To. Do crazy stuff that's going to destroy your family financially but I but what I do think, is that we. Should give ourselves permission to. Work through, our, ideas. In a, structured. Fashion to. Bring them to fruition if. They, have been validated and we think that there really is a business plan in that right, for. Me the. The nub, of the goddess formula, the heart of the goddess formula is we, need to have more. Structured, programs of support, which involves mentoring coaching, yes. And and and, peer-to-peer. Support to. Help women go from that place where they haven't given themselves permission so give yourself permission to get, to the point where you're, growing a business you can scale a business and you, can just basically start. You, know giving, back to society the way you're meant to give back - yes I see and so. How do you feel now Lucy, that you you have these two businesses and that you have these three children and, I'm sure most people ik how, do you do it how do you balance it all do you find that. Like. Your self-worth and the confidence, in what you do now has allowed you to go off and do other things that you weren't expecting I was. Not expecting to be running the godess formula if you've asked me a year and a half ago this is what I would be doing I would say no I'm totally focused on my digital agency, this, is my purpose certainly for the foreseeable, future but. You, know with, entrepreneurs, we often have these lightbulb moments and I had this calling to start the goddess formula along, with my co-founder Georgina, who. Also had a failed business on uber my twenties. And. She's. A business owner now - and we just both share this burning desire to help, as many women as possible step. Into their best business selves and, see. Through. Their. Visions so bring their vision and bring these over their vision that I love that yeah we're business, visions to fruition successfully. And. You. Know so that I am I'm passionate. Advocate for women and empowering. Women to to. Be strong and have voices in society. And I, just know that I can help women do that with. The. Backdrop of my digital. Technical. And business, experience, and. Yeah. And that's that's basically yeah I love it I love your passion and I love what you've built with systemized, and you, know we all need you know to, understand, technology, if we're gonna own a business we don't have to do it though we don't have to do it we can outsource it you, know yes, absolutely.

So If they want to find out more Lucy about the godess formula how do they do that so. We have a website it's, called the goddess formula.com, okay. Love the name by the way the goddess formula.com. The, website is actually goddess, formula.com there's no though so but the organization. Is the goddess formula.com, and we. We. Have a podcast which, we, are interviewing so many interesting, ladies on so that's it's. Called a live the change and that, can, be found at itunes and we. Yeah. We've got something in the pipeline which is probably. Something we don't want to go into in too much detail here but soon, we, will have a app, called systole which, is going to. Help. Us digitally. Revolutionize. The way women access coaching. And mentoring, and. Skills. But. I love, the concept you're, going to love this concept so why. Don't you go over to goddess, formula.com sign, up get on the newsletter get on the mailing list listen. To the podcast, and then stay tuned stay, tuned for some really big things happening in the near future, to help you connect and grow your, business Lucy, thank, you so much for sharing your story thank, you for being here thank you for being a champion for, women and for, helping more women step into, their their, goddess I so appreciate, you thank you yes and thank. You for, watching this, spotlight, interview, if you're inspired and I really hope you are please, post your comments below share. It with someone that you care about because when you are inspired, you, inspire, others, and that is what, this world is all about, as always. Remember to, keep dreaming, it living, it and being, it until. Next time.

2018-08-11 11:22

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