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Winformation Weekly

My 14 years’ experience of growing a business from £0-£100m as well as the life that goes with it.

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Simon Says

Winformation this week...

I am not fat. I am not ginger. I am not fat. I am not ginger. Honestly, I've tried to use affirmations for years, but for some reason, they just don’t work for me. Chanting into a mirror, things that just aren't true, in the hope that my actions will then make it so because of the chanting?? Not for me. But...I have found one thing that is similar that has been a mini game changer when it comes to self-belief and taking action that could work for you too. That’s below in today’s One Idea to Win in Life.

As someone who built a large business and, in the process, hired 250+ team members, you would assume I would be good at hiring people. But for the first 4 or 5 years after setting up our company, I got it more wrong than right, that was until we stepped back and changed one fundamental thing. You may be thinking about launching a business sometime in the future, or you might be up to 50 employees already. Either way, please read my advice and avoid the one mistake I kept making again and again. That’s below in today’s One Idea to Win in Business.

One Idea to Win in Business

The Single Hiring Change That Changed Everything for Us, and Could for You Too

We hired some really questionable people in the first 4 or 5 years of our business. We had them all. We had the person who would go home at lunch and rarely return citing more and more crazy excuses. A foot spa falling on his head from the loft was a memorable highlight.

It’s common to make mistakes, especially when it comes to hiring. But not so common not to learn from them. And for the first 4 or 5 years, we didn't really learn from them at all. All the people who weren't right, who didn't fit the culture and didn't contribute to our special community all had one thing in common. They all had previous experience in our industry. And that was the major factor in whether we hired them. This is where we went wrong...and THIS is what we did instead.

1. We got clear on our values as a business - How can you judge a candidate if you don’t know what you’re judging them against? This was us for years. Create crystal clear values for your business based on what you want the culture to be like. From there, you can hire candidates who display the same values. That’s the first, essential and simple step.

2. We developed self-belief in our ability to train, mentor and coach - One of the major reasons we only hired people with experience was that we never backed ourselves to be able to train others. This was a confidence thing. The success of the business is how effectively you can transfer your knowledge into another human being, and then for them to do the same.

3. We listed 3 personal attributes and tested for them - We looked at every successful person we had worked with in our industry and listed their personal attributes. They all shared the same 5 in different measures. Your industry will have the same. Once you are clear on what they are, your questions and any tests are around these attributes.

4. We took a huge interest in 22 years before their first job! - Imagine hiring a 28 year old person solely because of a job they have been doing for the past 18 months. Yes, this was us. Their motivations, outlook on the world, drive, personality, kindness, and willingness to help others were all instilled by someone when they were pre-school age and beyond. Decide to hire (or not) on the 25 years before that, you can teach them the job in 3-6 months!

5. We stopped hiring CVs and started hiring people - The result of all of the above is that we actually started hiring people, not a CV and not because someone had 18 months experience doing the same job.

Do we always get it right? Of course not. But we have grown our business 5 times since this time, and this is probably one of the major factors in that.

One Idea to Win in Life

I Ditched Affirmations, Here’s the Game Changer That Replaced Them

I recently stumbled upon a YouTube video where the creator spent five minutes a day chanting “I am a millionaire” out loud. He admitted he wasn’t one and claimed you had to keep up this daily chanting for “a few months” before it worked. Come on. Seriously. I turned it off immediately. I’ve never really “got on with” affirmations.

But...there is something I have been doing, and it has been a game changer in recent months. I've found confidence doesn't come from chanting things that haven't yet happened; it comes from reminding yourself of things you’ve already proven you can do.

Enter what psychologists call Past Success Recall. Research shows that consciously recalling times you’ve overcome hardship or succeeded, boosts your resilience and confidence. Top athletes, speakers and performers use this. Before facing big moments, they mentally rehearse past wins to fire up belief and calm nerves. Here’s how you can build your own memory recall toolbox:

1. 5 toughest moments - List your 5 toughest ever moments or periods of your life. Heartbreak, failed exams, death in the family. What happened, who were you with, where were you, how did you feel? The more detail, the better. You need to feel what it was like at the time.

2. 5 biggest achievements - List your 5 biggest achievements or most amazing moments of your life. Birth of a child, proposal, graduation, an amazing holiday. Again, describe the scene and how you felt.

3. Timeline of events - Now, to the best of your knowledge try map these ten moments out chronologically. You’ll notice something powerful: your toughest times and best achievements are often intertwined. Setbacks tend to be followed by breakthroughs.

4. Build your recall habit - When self-doubt, procrastination or anxiety hit, consciously recall these real moments. Tell yourself: “I am the person who survived heartbreak... I am the person who delivered that big speech... I can handle this too.” Put yourself back in the room when you felt that rush of pride or achievement.

5. Replace empty affirmations with evidence - Save yourself the time chanting future fantasies in the mirror, and give yourself more credit. You have done some big things, overcome huge hurdles and whatever you face next, that too shall pass.

Until next week! 

Let’s win, together!