Instructor Newsletter 13th August 2015

New Things

In my endeavour to keep trying out new classes

& have new fitness & health experiences
my good friend
Jayne Nicholls enrolled us on a
Forrest Yoga Workshop  https://www.forrestyoga.com/

WOW what a workshop.

As usual, Jayne didn’t give me the full details
so I turned up without a mat or wearing
the “right” clothes, but once I had got over that
embarrassment we both embraced the whole evening.

Chanting, Meditating, Postures, Readings,
Poses, Dancing, Skipping & Fire Lighting were all experienced
on the workshop.

For the 21/2 hours I was SO far out of my
comfort zone that I wasn’t
sure exactly what to think..

BUT

I LOVED it.

It was so different and I have definitely
benefited.

Forrest Yoga  very much promotes
being loving and kind to yourself.

“You’re having a life long love
affair with yourself”

“You are your perfect partner”

“You are your own best friend”

“Treat yourself with love & kindness”

the mantras of the evening.

Do something for you today!

Find a
Forrest Yoga class and go for it.

Keep exploring. Keep trying new things!

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Watch my LIVE Periscope Workouts here on Katch

http://katch.me/RachelHolmes

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New Kick Start Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil

 

 

 

 

I have been working on getting the VERY best
& highest Organic quality coconut oil for my Kick Starters
and finally it is here!

We will be launching

The Kick Start Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil

on Wednesday 26th August
along with my new Kick Start Rescue Recipe Book
at a special event in Nottingham.

Would YOU Like to attend?

Facebook me and I will send you an invite
on Wednesday 26th August 7 – 9pm
at Stanford House in Nottingham

There will be talks, special KSFL
VIP goody bags
Juice shots & Raw Chocolate Shots & much more.

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Slogging & Blogging by Zoe McNulty

I always know I’m doing something right when Rachel asks me to contribute to the Choreographytogo Newsletter and it’s always such an honour.  Plus considering that Rachel took time out from her ridiculously busy schedule to answer my questions for my “Woman Crush Wednesday” section of my new “Officially Fabulous” blog (http://www.zoemcnulty.com/officially-fabulous-blog/), it was the least I could do.

When Rachel asks me to write something, she sometimes asks for a particular angle, e.g. she once asked me to write about posting with passion (hmm, think I’ll resurrect/repurpose that for my own blog!) but most of the time she leaves me to my own devices.  Previously this has caused me to be stumped – what do I write about and I end up not bothering.  But I’d had a conversation with a friend over the weekend which sprang to mind immediately.

During the conversation my friend said she’s so happy to see me doing so well recently and I replied that it had taken long time to get to this place.  She asked me why it had taken so long for me to get my shizzle together.   She literally said “Why the **** has it taken so long?  What have you been doing?”  What a great question!!!

So the reason I have gone down the blogging road (http://www.zoemcnulty.com/officially-fabulous-blog/ – you can sign up to notifications) was partly because as a prominent figure in the fitness industry it’s no longer good enough to just be good at what you do; you need to learn how to market yourself, how to capitalise on your position and ‘grow your list’ – buzz words!  But also because I finally decided to TAKE CONTROL!  Let me explain…

I’ve always considered myself to be a bit rubbish at business.  Excellent at group exercise, but crap at the rest of it and have always had someone around to do the “businessy” part, to hold my hand, to tell me what to do but also let me do what I do best (creating, turning up and teaching, connecting with participants) and avoid doing everything else! With this attitude I have managed to stand still in business, maybe even regress a little!  I had a falling out with a former business partner, I’m sure many readers can relate, and it devastated me, still does, not least because she was my best friend, but also because I convinced myself that I couldn’t do it without her.  I would need to replace her, find someone to be the business brains whilst I just put the cherry on the top with my creativity and teaching skills. I then had another falling out with another work associate and I have been taken advantage of my good nature and nativity in business and I began to realise I was in this alone really, to a certain degree.

About 2 years prior to this, the server to which my domain (zoemcnulty.com) was pointed (web jargon) was switched off without warning (everything lost) and I faffed about for those 2 years without a website- imagine that, organisations, publications, individuals all interested in what I was doing but with nowhere to go for any information about it.  I faffed because it wasn’t simple.  It took me a long time to unravel that the domain had been bought in one place. registered in another, was hosted somewhere else and had been pointed somewhere different (non of that used to make any sense, I didn’t know what I didn’t know! It was complicated and I was waiting for other people to do something about it, convinced that I didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with that sort of stuff and because I was so busy teaching!  To be honest I’d probably still be waiting if technology hadn’t changed and if websites still needed coding.  But when I realised I needed to pull my finger out and get a grip, I determined in my heart that I would!

Before I tackled the mess with my domain name though, I found YouTube clips explaining how to set up websites. I started noticing the common factors in what made a site visually appealing. I started from scratch with a WordPress site as a project, to see if I could a) do it and b) maybe make some money out of it. I chose the domain name getfitindulwich.com (the plan was to get some PT clients which would have been a welcome bonus to my income without too much effort) and started playing around with it. It was exciting but difficult and I came up against a lot of snags and I shelved that project. But I learned a lot.

Then a friend suggested SquareSpace which is a platform for creating gorgeous websites with loads of templates to chose from. I gave the 2 week free trial a go and chose a sexy template which lets text scroll over images. It took a day to set up! A full on day where I was glued to the screen but I loved it. I was learning a new skill and succeeding! YEY ME! GO ZOE GO ZOE!! There’s nothing more liberating than creating something for yourself when you always thought you would have to pay someone else thousands of pounds for it!  On the first day of my primary school (going back a loooong time), my mum reminds me of this regularly, the head mistress spoke to her at the end of the day and said “Mrs McNulty, Zoe will succeed in whatever she chooses to succeed in” and I think she was spot on.

Once that was set up with a squarespace domain, it took hours and a very dedicated tech lady on the chat option to figure out and fix the issue with my custom domain but we did it – clouds parted, sunshine streamed and angels sang, I swear!!   2 years!!!!

Then I noticed the blogging facility and it was a no brainier really. I started adding pages and thought of ways I could engage with not only the people I engage with on FB But those further afield. I’m still playing around with ideas at the moment. So far the plan is (and this might change) to have a different theme each day:

Mondays – I haven’t done one of these yet but it will probably be #MCM (man crush Monday) – an excuse to look at hunky men- although this might be too much of a distraction and for the time being I have too much to think about (what are your thoughts?)

Tuesdays – Tone Tuesdays – an easy to follow workout. I’ve done 2 so far and they have been a lot of fun. Not difficult, just time consuming but the response has been great.

Wednesdays – #WCW (Woman crush Wednesday). This is getting the most response to be honest. You may have seen Rachel’s interview a couple of weeks ago for this. This week I asked my good friend Sylvia Johnstone to answer some questions and she really opened up. The response from women has been awesome, great for my list and fabulous for her self confidence.

Thursdays – #TBT (throw back Thursday) where I review something I did in the past, maybe last week, maybe 10/20 years ago. I find it’s a great opportunity to sell myself, to remind people of achievements and also give them chance to see me in action. Today’s TBT is last week’s Raunch class at UFD, and from that I am directing people to my new School of Strut site to sign up for a free download when the ‘school opens in September’!  (http://www.schoolofstrut.com – website still needs tweaking but you can still sign up.  I will tell you more about this if Rachel lets me nearer to the time of launch.)

Friday’s – #FutureFriday… You can guess! Where I’ll be, which events are coming up, what exciting plans I have got going on. It’s a great opportunity to show event organisers how proactive I am in ‘advertising’ their events.  In this week’s #FF I reveal that I will be teaching spinning classes in a VERY UNUSUAL place next month- sign up to the blog to find out where that is!

So far I haven’t managed to get in gear to add anything at the weekends and maybe I shouldn’t- don’t want burn out!  I may have bitten off more than I can chew, maybe been a bit ambitious but we will see what happens.

A couple of days ago I figured out how to get a pop up sign up box to appear once the site has been launched for the first time and I can see my list growing without having to beg people for their email address. That’s another GO ZOE GO ZOE moment! It’s really very exciting.

But I couldn’t have done this without a few trusty inventions… My iPhone 6plus (how did I survive without this?), canva.com (love this, try it if you haven’t already, no more need to pay graphic designers), my tripod for my phone and squarespace.com who have a fabulous ‘chat’ facility with very knowledgable, passionate and persistent experts available at any hour.  Also I created my “Officially Fabulous” high heels logo on there.  I finally took the plunge and commissions something on fiverr.  I got several intro videos using my logo for my vlogs.  Some were not that good, but for $5 who cares, try something, if you don like it no problem. I particularly love the butterfly settling on my logo – see this week’s Tone Tuesday for that.  I am currently using the Splice app on my phone to edit my videos for the the vlogs, I’m sure there are more high tech ones available but for now it does me – happy to take advice though if anyone out there can recommend anything.

Gosh I have waffled on – if you’re still reading this…. my advice to anyone who is holding back from pushing their business forward my advice is to grow a pair and stop the avoidance tactics.  You just need to decide to succeed.  The information is all out there, free advice all over the place.  Just stop the self doubt talk.  You got this!!

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My Favourite MUSIC

Have you got ALL FIRED UP 2 as yet from Pure Energy?

This is such a grower that YOU Must grab it.
It’s such an awesome mix and of course Im using it
for everything… I always overdose on whatever music Im into at
the moment.

Check it out its brilliant I’ve been using it all work on
my Periscope Workouts which you can see all of the replays
here

http://www.pureenergymusic.com/product/all-fired-up-2/pe816

 

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Sexy Sober Summer
By Jo De Rosa

It’s an August morning and the weather forecast was for sunshine all day, but what has actually been delivered is cloud and the odd rumble of thunder.
As I teach my backbend yoga class and open my heart and mind, I realise that in fact the day holds so much potential – just like life itself.

Will the sun come out?
Perhaps we will get a dramatic storm?
Or will the day continue to be overcast and nondescript?

As I think about the weather I also think about life’s possibilities:
Will I realise my dreams?
Will I find true and lasting love?
Will I find a job that fulfills me?
Will I ever be financially stable?
Will I be fit and healthy?
Will I visit all the places that I’m drawn to around the world?
Will I ever be debt free?
Will I have brilliant relationships with my family and friends?
Can I be happy?

Are these questions that you ask yourself too?

As another ripple of thunder cuts through the sky I realise that if I had carried on drinking the answer would be NO to all of the above questions. But TODAY on my one thousandth and thirty third day of sobriety I can say YES to everything on the above list!

Just as the sky right now holds endless possibilities of what the day will produce, so does my life. ANYTHING is possible, I really and truly believe that.

I am one half of a supportive loving marriage.
I live in a beautiful mansion and have to pinch myself everyday ‘is this real?!’
I am living my dream life. There is nothing in it that I don’t want there.
I am financially stable.
Being sugar, dairy, gluten and ALCOHOL free means that I am fit and healthy.
I have a daily meditation practice.
I have no more debt.
I have wonderful relationships with my friends and family.
I am well on the way to visiting new and exciting places on the earth that I’ve never been to before: including Bali this December!!!

And my job now is passing on the information that I’ve received so that others can also live a dream life. I’m teaching less yoga classes, and doing more motivational speaking events. Life is constantly changing and evolving, just like the weather, and that would never be the case if my life was still caught up in a cycle of addiction.

Today holds so much potential. The potential for it to be anything, and everything feels possible. Rain, sun, storm, wind, and then I find out we are having a meteor shower tonight – just perfect!

When I was drinking my hangover would prevent me from actually doing my meditation practice in the morning. It would then stretch into my breakfast choices, which would be less than healthy as my acidic body would crave more acidic foods, plus I’d pop a few codeine tablets. I’d then feel like crap and sit around wondering why I felt lethargic and unmotivated to do any work. Then my addiction to codeine would kick in again and I’d HAVE to take some to be able to teach my evening yoga classes.
Of course once completed the wine would make another appearance and the whole sorry pattern would play out once again, caught on the merry-go-round of addiction and unable to make the wretched ride stop.

Why couldn’t I stop it?
Why was I so weak?
Why wasn’t I enough without it?

But the ugly game continued from the age of 15 to 40, my whole adulthood consumed with doing something that I didn’t actually want to do.
How stupid I felt.
How ridiculous a situation it was.
The frustration was unbearable and the tears often came.
And I kept asking myself WHY WAS I SO WEAK?

A life of struggle.
25 years of being stuck.

But the time came when I was finally able to believe in myself, and that I DESERVED a better life.
A brilliant life was in fact possible for me, not just for the people I saw on TV or in magazines.
I started to believe that I could have that too.

I shook off the life of a drunk, and tried on sobriety for size.
I liked it.
It fit.
And now I had opened a new chapter of my life.

The real beauty of it is that I can now be authentic.
I’m no longer hiding.
And I had been the drunk yoga teacher hiding my drinking from my students for such a long time, and I was bored of it.

There was so much SHAME.
And that shame pulled me under and suffocated me.
I often felt that I’d drown in it.

But I didn’t. I sunk to the bottom of the ocean and kicked up again to the surface, where now I am flourishing.
My meditation practice is my support, my teacher, and my saviour.
The hours I sat with cravings rather than give in to them, training myself to think a different way.

And it worked.
Suddenly the urge to drink/smoke/snort GONE.
Now nearly three years later there are never any cravings.

Birthdays are better sober
Celebrations are better sober
Anniversaries are better sober
Christmas is better sober
Holidays are better sober
Parties are better sober
Winter is better sober
Autumn is better sober
Spring is better sober

And summer?
Well summer is just so sexy sober!

Not feeling bloated, fat, and ugly.
Now filling the summer months with vibrancy, energy and hope.
Do you want some of that?
I’d love you to join me in the feeling of AMAZING!

If you’d like to chat to me about our addiction program, then I am here for you. Our August retreat is full but we have spaces on the next one, and please pass this blog on to anyone that you think may need to hear the words.

Be your best, realise that you are ENOUGH, and allow yourself to be your fullest potential. Let me know your thoughts via email, facebook or twitter, and here is to the summer being totally gorgeously sexy! x

Web:  www.innerguidance.co.uk/addictions
Email:  jo@innerguidance.co.uk
Facebook:  InnerGuidance
Twitter:  @Inner_Guidance
Copyright: Jo De Rosa 2015

 

Shower Me With Gifts…Especially Sunshine..!!

By Andrew Crawford

The sun shines on the righteous and unrighteous.

Today was a fantastic day, the sun was showering down in the villages shining bright and hot… I had to break out my summer shorts and t-shirt. The geezer at the post office just about recognised me. I was in my civvies. Sucking on a strawberry flavoured jubbley and wearing no suit.

Don’t you find you have to have 2 to 3 showers on hot sticky days???

Oh….one will do….my bad..!

Alternatively then, you can have that one shower. A Meteor shower. This happens once a year and apparently starts tomorrow.

Whilst talking about showering, do you not shower yourself with gifts whilst shopping and topping up at the airports?

Well listen to this…..

“……..Top retailers were today forced to tell staff that they do not have to see passengers’ boarding pass before selling them goods in airport stores following a public backlash.

It emerged over the weekend that the only reason for the rule is to allow companies to save on VAT bills – even though many customers assumed it was a legal safety measure…………”

Travellers were furious when it emerged that multi-million-pound retailers only ask to see the travel documents to boost their profits. Items, including soft drinks, books, perfume and clothing, that are taken to destinations OUTSIDE the EU are exempt from VAT.

Firms avoid paying it if they produce evidence such as a scan of a boarding pass – but few pass the saving on to customers.

So…from now on when you are travelling refuse to show your boarding pass to retailers at airports.

So Andrew…….

What has showering me with gifts got to do with Accountancy & Tax?

Well….When you can shower people with gifts you don’t pay IHT on it.

In tax terms they call these ‘Exempt Transfers’

What these do is reduce the value of your assets thus reducing your tax bill. So giving is good. Let me run through those gifts for you :

Gifts to your husband or wife during your lifetime or on death.

Gifts to charities. These must be recognised by the HMRC. Including museums,
Universities or COMMUNITY AMATEUR SPORTS CLUBS……..have I said that loud enough?? Tee hee …. How? Just change your business name and description etc.- e.g. TJ’s Community Amateur Health & Fitness Sports Club. Make sure as well as PT, group exercise etc, you also do sport..!!

Gifts to Political parties (surprise surprise ….opps..that was last week…!!) but the party has to have at least 2 MP’s at Westminster or  one MP who had at least 150,000 votes at the last election. We can all agree that most  parties fall into the first category.

Regular gifts made from your after tax income. As long as it does not upset your regular/normal standard of living. Whatever that means..!!

These gifts include:
CHRISTMAS, BIRTHDAY and anniversary presents
life insurance policy premiums
regular payments into a savings account

In addition, there’s no Inheritance Tax on gifts to help with other people’s living costs. These include payments to:

an ex-husband, ex-wife or former civil partner
a relative who’s dependent on them because of old age, illness or disability
a child (including adopted and step-child) under 18 years old or in full-time education

Gifts of up to £250 per tax year to any number of people.

An annual gift of up to £3,000 to an individual during your lifetime.

There’s no Inheritance Tax on a wedding or civil partnership gift worth up to:

£5,000 given to a child
£2,500 given to a grandchild or great-grandchild
£1,000 given to anyone else

The gift must be given on or shortly before the date of the wedding or civil partnership ceremony.

So go ahead and shower your loved ones with gifts…!!

Finally
My gift to you is 2-fold.

Firstly an extension to the 30 day trail offer here –  www.zlogg.co.uk
Secondly quotes made to inspire, motivate & think. Today:

Stand Together or Fall Apart  – (AJC)

Andrew James Crawford

www.zlogg.co.uk
www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com
www.facebook.com/fitnessindustryaccountants