Tomorrow is Not Today

[00:00:00] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Welcome, Mina, to the Tomorrow Is Not Today podcast. Pleasure having you here, and I cannot wait to get into some of the topics we're going to be covering today.
[00:00:10] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Oh, it's good to be here Kingsley, thank you for having me.
[00:00:13] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Now, you're joining us from across the ditch over in, uh, Auckland.
[00:00:18] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: That's right. The better half.
[00:00:20] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: about half. It is a beautiful city. I've been there many, many times. Uh, I do really enjoy it every time I go to Auckland. It's beautifully green, um, and it's just like the city inside the city. I don't know what locals think, but I actually like it.
[00:00:34] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: And all of the areas surrounding. Uh, there's some beautiful suburbs and things as well
[00:00:39] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: absolutely. And likewise, I've, I've been to Australia to different states and I think it's beautiful and has got some real character to it and quite a buzz. And so it's, it's really nice and refreshing to be in Australia every now and then.
[00:00:56] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: But yeah, it's nice to be in New Zealand. It's a bit quieter.
[00:00:59] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: [00:01:00] is a little bit quieter and a little bit cooler
[00:01:02] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: as well. So now we're going to get into it. And every time on the Tomorrow's Not Today podcast, we always start with a big question, and then we pull pieces out of that. And we're going to get to know you a little bit more as we go through this as well, because I think it's quite fascinating what you've done as a person, and your career trajectory, and what you're doing. So I'm really looking forward to delve into that. So the first question is, because obviously you, you talking to a lot of CEOs, business owners, entrepreneurs, that type of person. So over the years, when you've been talking to people, what would you say are two or three of the key factors that seems to line up with every successful operator?
[00:01:46] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah, great question Kingsley. I think there's three things, there's passion, everyone who I've spoken to has done a great business and is doing really well right now, has an element of passion and they love what they do [00:02:00] and they're excited about it and they've done, they've worked hard to, you know, Do that, do what they love to do.
[00:02:07] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: The other thing is that they were willing to try something new and they're willing to give it a go. And they, they had to go with the fear and do it anyway. And successfully combining that with their passion have become successful. And then obviously adapting the third point, which is adaptability, just having to be adaptable to what is being thrown at them and worked with the Whatever comes across their way.
[00:02:37] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And that somehow made the passion, the trying something new, adapting to the situation, help them get better and better. So I think really is that this is a consistent thread that I've really noticed in business owners.
[00:02:51] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Oh, this is going to be so much fun. That, that is not what I was expecting to hear, but I'm really glad you did because I, what you've just said there [00:03:00] is what I'm very passionate about, uh, personally and how I try to encourage people with my own coaching mastermind groups and that sort of thing. So, One of the things you said there is there's something that they're passionate about because I hear two sides of this stories quite regularly, you know, don't just go for what you're passionate about, find where the money is, build your business, go that way.
[00:03:20] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: And then other people are like, no, if you don't aren't passionate about this, when the hard time comes, you're going to give up and we'll try and do something else. So expand on that from what you've learned and your own
[00:03:31] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: personal experiences about how passion works there.
[00:03:35] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I agree with you because passion can sometimes be something that wouldn't pay to pay the bills.
[00:03:42] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: It's true.
[00:03:43] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: So it could be something that is like an art, you're an artist and you love drawing, um, stuff or graphic artists. And you're just not quite there making money. And if you threw all your heart and soul [00:04:00] into being able to, wanting to follow your passion and make it work, it could work.
[00:04:06] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Um, but you've got to know the skills. You've got to be able to know. How to make it work. And so following your passion is good. If you know how to do it, sometimes people follow their passion and they're not good at business and they don't know where to start. And they just keep sort of blindly, you know, going into it, taking them a very long time.
[00:04:28] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And if they don't engage in someone who understands how to run a business, then that passion can actually become a liability. On the other hand, if you have a passion and perhaps you're a self aware and you understand, yeah, like I know my passion is good and if I, if I build my skill, if I get the right person to help me get there, it's good, but for [00:05:00] now I'm going to not fully pour my all into it.
[00:05:03] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I'm going to go and do a boring job or just a job and earn regularly. Okay. And not pursue my passion, but pursue something that will pay the bills. Meanwhile, developing my skills, doing what I can do better, and then slowly pouring my heart into this passion and doing it full time. So the two, very interesting, two school of thoughts.
[00:05:28] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And I think I am for both, because if you don't love what you do, how can you make it through the process? Crappy times, right? Like how, like you have to love it and, and do it and it's going to carry you through the love for it's going to carry you through, it's kind of like a relationship if like the love for that person, yeah, it's going to carry you through and obviously love looks different, um, throughout the relationship.
[00:05:56] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: It looks like feelings one time, it looks like action, but it's [00:06:00] a decision eventually, and you have to decide to do business, whether you love it or not. But you've got to have that passion for it.
[00:06:07] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Hmm.
[00:06:07] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Long answer.
[00:06:09] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: No, that's that. That's huge. You covered a whole lot of things there, which is fantastic. Um, and, and you're right. There is that whole passion side and there's, I think you've described a sort of like a wise way of going about it as to where are you on that scale? Can you just go all at it now or do you work another job for a little while and get into your passion?
[00:06:29] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Uh, I do talk to a lot of people who, who are like, I can't wait till I retire and then I can do this. And I'm like. Okay, you may not be able to just do this now, but what are you doing to work towards this if that's what you really love? Um, and that's, that's a big important thing. And, and one of the other things you picked up on there, or you said was the desire of the decision, sorry. It is a decision to make. Do you find that some people don't [00:07:00] make the decision or they want to do something but they don't decide I'm going to do this because of the fear of I've got responsibilities, I've got to pay the bills, what will I look like if I fail or different things? What, what have you noticed talking to people about that?
[00:07:16] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah. Well, let's pre preface this answer by saying that I'm, you know, when you're looking at the DISC personalities, the D I S C, I'm D and I, so decisive, Or direct or dominant and inspiring, influential. So I like, I make decisions and I just go for them and I just go and do them. So that's how I do it. Um, I think I used to be a lot less decisive and jumping into something because I've discovered that people who take a very long time to make a decision, misses out, they miss out on the opportunity, they just take too long [00:08:00] and they just overthink it.
[00:08:01] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And I've. I've probably noticed in my life also, there, there've been points where I've let some really cool opportunities slip and look back and go, I should have really, you know, should have made a, made a point and to make a decision. And I didn't, so I missed out. Right. So. But I, there's so many friends like around me, if I, if you'd like me to give you an example
[00:08:30] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: yeah. So
[00:08:32] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: friends who are in a job in a career that they really don't like, and it is such a slow and painful process for them to finally make a decision to either drop their hours and find something else to learn or to upskill their, upskill, uh, themselves to do better.
[00:08:54] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Um, I know someone who every time we chat, they are [00:09:00] just still thinking, they're still looking. Well, you have to make a decision at some point, right? And actual, when you're not making a decision, it's actually a decision. So you're deciding not to decide.
[00:09:15] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Now that's, it's really good. I'm glad you brought up that about the time to make decisions because opportunities. Yeah, they can go through. I remember listening to, uh, or watching TikTok, which is one of my favorite educational tools. If you know how to use it, it's great. If you don't,
[00:09:31] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: it's a big time waster. Um, but a lady by the name of Cody Sanchez, who's a serial entrepreneur, owns a
[00:09:38] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah, I love Cody.
[00:09:40] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: she's awesome. And she was
[00:09:41] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: talking about, uh, she was on a podcast interview, I think, and she was talking to a guy and she said, I can tell how successful someone's going to be by watching them order a coffee in a cafe. And he's like, how do you do that? She's like, if they're going to take a long time to decide what coffee they [00:10:00] make. When it
[00:10:00] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: comes to the big decisions, they're not going to have a chance because all of the opportunities are going to be gone and they won't be able to decide what to do or make a decision to go in a direction.
[00:10:10] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah,
[00:10:14] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: comment because I find myself sometimes making very, finding it really difficult to decide if I'm in a takeaway shop, um, there's so many good choices and I don't know what to pick. And I was like, how can I do this? But then in big life choices, like leaving my profession, which is one of my, one of the things that, you I take really pride of, not because it was bad, but because I wasn't the right person for it.
[00:10:39] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I, at some point, I, I gave it time five years and I thought, if really, I don't like it, I'm going to have to move on. And I did, and I made a decision and I moved on. And, um, and I was like, I didn't, I didn't dwell in the notion. What am I going to miss? If I, what am I going to miss in [00:11:00] the job? Cause I've, I don't like it.
[00:11:02] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Like we've, we've accomplished evidence over five years. Like this is not, this is not the right profession for me. And I do know that there's so much more out there for me. And I know that I can give so much more to my local community, my local world. Like there's so much I can give. And so, and actually decision making is good and it comes along easy.
[00:11:27] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: If you start to think I'm going to make a decision and if it's going to be wrong, That's actually good because I can just readjust and the trouble with some people is if they say The decision is big, you know decision is big and it's huge and it's weighty and it has to be right No, it doesn't it's actually okay to make him make a mistake and order order the wrong coffee just order the wrong [00:12:00] coffee.
[00:12:00] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Just don't drink it. Just can't get another one, right?
[00:12:05] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Totally agree with that. And, uh, and I know there's, there's different personalities, like you were talking about your personality and, and, uh, I'm probably, um, I've, I've switched personalities a little bit over time as I've learned to grow and develop, but pretty much, I'm very much along the lines of where you are as well.
[00:12:22] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: But then, and I've gone to the point where I become very slow in the decision making and it's like, what am I doing? It's a coffee, just order
[00:12:30] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: the thing. And be done with
[00:12:31] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: it. And like you said, you can, you can move on. And even with most things in life,
[00:12:35] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: I think we get scared that if I
[00:12:37] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: make this decision, it's going to have this big impact.
[00:12:40] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: And the reality is most of the time, the impact that we think it's going to have is way less than what we conjure up in our imagination.
[00:12:52] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And you know, I, when I was like talking about the coffee shop or the, the takeaway, there've been so many situations where I went in and I have [00:13:00] no clue what I want and I just had to pick something and it wasn't nice. It wasn't nice, but do you know what I thought next time I'm not picking that I'm going to go and pick something else.
[00:13:10] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah, exactly. And you've tried something. You've had an experiment. You've given it a shot.
[00:13:13] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Exactly. And I know I'm not going to choose the X, Y, Z that did not taste really good. But we have to also keep in mind that people have personalities, different personalities, like from the hundreds. Probably like a hundred, maybe I've talked to a hundred people so far, so relatively new and small, but they've talked a lot about having to make that, you know, perfect decision and have to be absolutely right and everything.
[00:13:43] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And it's actually, it doesn't have to be perfect. You can just go for it. And people who've made a decision to do something are better off today. Then they were five years ago because they're like, thank God I made that. And in fact, I've recently had a CEO on the [00:14:00] show and he talked about how there are four decisions or opportunities that comes, you come your way.
[00:14:09] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And if you don't take up those opportunities, you'll be missing out. And if you say no to everything, then you're going to miss out. You're going to miss out. You've got to really feel the fear and do it anyway. But like I was saying, we have to preface that some people have different personalities and some people really want to know all the details.
[00:14:36] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: They want every single piece of information and have to dissect it. I can be like that sometimes, but it depends on what it is. But I've, I've started to learn, okay, well, I don't want to do that. I want to have enough information and I can make a decision because if you're the type that has to, has to know everything about something, there's a term [00:15:00] for it, which I would really love to remember, but I can't remember right now.
[00:15:03] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I think it's called. I can't remember, it's cut off at the top of my head now, but it's, it's a thing where because you're so afraid to make a choice, you compensate for having to know everything before you make a decision, which eventually stops you from moving forward.
[00:15:23] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah,
[00:15:23] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: no, that's good.
[00:15:24] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: so
[00:15:25] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: It's very true. It's very true. If we, if we don't make a decision and we, we put ourselves in a place and we, we hold ourselves back where we're not actually doing anything. Like you said before, it is a decision. No decision is a decision. And, um, cause you can only gather so much information.
[00:15:43] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: And then I think what some people do is they, they gather all the information and then they try to mull it over and what's going to be the best thing and, and try to make it. So there is no mistake going to happen out of that. But that's a very, very rare thing that happens. And like I said, make a decision and adjust as you go on. [00:16:00] And
[00:16:00] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: adjust is the key here.
[00:16:02] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: which is one of the things that you said the, the CEOs or business leaders, uh, had mentioned to you.
[00:16:08] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah, definitely. And I think, um, there was one wonderful, um, guest who've been on the show. He's, he's a music producer. We haven't, we haven't launched this episode yet, so I'll keep it, uh, keep it on the down low, but I'll tell you he's a music producer and he's found huge success internationally with his production and he's even like, he's even been featured on Oprah.
[00:16:35] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Which is really nice, like one of his products. Um, he hated school and did all sorts of things after school and tried everything and some things he enjoyed. Like, I don't know. I think it was something like working on a boat or,
[00:16:55] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: um, helping his dad or something like [00:17:00] sort of wielding or whatever. Like it was interesting, very interesting, you know, start to his life.
[00:17:05] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And then at some point, his mom found him a job with a music production or like a CBS, CBS records. And he, he, he took it and he has a love for music, a love for listening and a love for music production. And he got the job, he did it, enjoyed it, became the youngest, um, CBS. Um, ma manager or director in, in his time, like at that time, I think it was in the eighties, so, but he just, he went for it and if he would've had to think too much about it, he, he would've missed the opportunity because later on in life, when he went on to, he kind of discovered someone like a, a pianist, um, in a lobby, in an, in an [00:18:00] Auckland hotel, and he just thought, oh, this, this pianist has got something different and.
[00:18:06] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: He was having coffee with his wife after dinner in an Auckland hotel and he went up to the guy and said, look, I think what you're doing is amazing. I love the music. I think we should work on the project. And the project that they worked on ended up with Oprah.
[00:18:20] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Oh, wow.
[00:18:20] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: So, um, if he said, gosh, if I get up and chat to this guy, he's not gonna,
[00:18:29] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: not gonna like me.
[00:18:30] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: He's gonna, you know, there's so much that can go in your head that goes. It's going to stop you. There are going to be millions of reasons. Okay. Three reasons why you're not going to do something. And it's going to stop you from that one step away from breakthrough. And is it worth it that you're going to let this fear be in the way of what could potentially happen?
[00:18:54] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: You know, what, what, you know, there's a price that you'll pay for not deciding.
[00:18:57] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: a great
[00:18:58] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Right?
[00:18:59] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: That's a [00:19:00] great question. So what are those three things that stop us?
[00:19:05] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Well, fear, the fear of, um, rejection, cause like he could have got up to the guy and said, um, I love your playing. I love how, like the way that you're like playing this music is gorgeous. And here the guy would have been like, I'm not interested. And that could have destroyed him. He could have been like, uh, heartbroken, um, sensed, uh, this whole failure coming around him and would have stopped him from even approaching anybody else.
[00:19:35] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And. Killed his confidence and all that. So fear of failure, like even in my life, like I've had moments where. I've had people not interested in the project that I was doing at the time. And I felt a sense of like sting, you know, like you get stung and you're like, ah, and it's not really, if, to be honest, it's not about me, it's, it's them, them, they don't, they don't want to be part of it.[00:20:00]
[00:20:00] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: It's got nothing to do with me, but
[00:20:01] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: become very personal though. And people don't get that. But it
[00:20:05] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: yeah, yeah.
[00:20:06] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: you've gotta, you've gotta rise up to get over it.
[00:20:09] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Cause, but if you're in business, you don't want to have anything personal. That's why they say it's business. It's not personal.
[00:20:15] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:20:15] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: It's not you, it's business. Um, and so it's. Absolutely them. So
[00:20:22] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: the, the sort of fear of rejection, fear of failure, because if you think about it, I'm afraid to get up and speak to you because if I offer you what I have and you say yes, there might be a chance.
[00:20:39] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: But I may not be able to deliver I'm going to look terrible. So that's fear, the fear of delivery, maybe, or fear of performance, like fear of not good enough to be what I'm trying to give you here and what I'm trying to offer, and the third fear, the third thing that stops us would be. I [00:21:00] would say, I think just lack of preparation.
[00:21:04] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Like if you're not prepared and you're trying to land something, I think that could stop. Oh, maybe not. I'm not too sure. For sure. I can tell you that there are two reasons why we are stopped. Or maybe like, easy as, we think we're not good enough for it. Like there's no way he's going to say yes to this deal.
[00:21:25] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: I, I agree with your third one as well, the, the preparation, because I think quite often we don't real, or think that the opportunities might come to us, so we don't bother preparing. And
[00:21:35] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: so, when the opportunities are there, if we don't prepare, we're not going to be good enough, so we, we may not get it. But if we prepare, and you know what it's like in business, is you're, you're, quite often you work, and you work, and you work, and you're like, Is this actually happening?
[00:21:48] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Is anything going on right now? And then
[00:21:50] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Am I moving forward?
[00:21:52] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Exactly. And is this going to work? Is it going to pay money? Do I need to go and get a job? Do I all of this sort of stuff? And then
[00:21:57] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: all of a sudden, bang, it happens. [00:22:00] Uh, and
[00:22:00] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: it can get out. So I think you're exactly right. Exactly
[00:22:03] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
[00:22:06] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: a little bit. from there because you've, you've done this and I love the fact that you've actually done this yourself where this isn't just talking and not just other people's stories that we're talking about. This is your life. Uh, and when I was researching, I'm like, this is exactly the message I'm trying to get across to people is what you're actually doing. Now it's
[00:22:30] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: going to be look different for everybody, but it's a similar
[00:22:33] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: thing. So you, here you are, you've got a nice career, nice paying job, things on the outside look fantastic. But for you, it's like, I'm not fulfilled here. There's more to this. How did you get to the point where you, and it sounds like it was a five year journey, but you made a decision to go in a really a very different direction.
[00:22:55] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: So
[00:22:56] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: mm. Great question. [00:23:00] So I think you've got to listen to your heart as well. Listen to your feelings. Listen to how your body respond. Listen and feel the emotion that comes through. Like when I was working in pharmacy, um, it, like the thought that comes to mind after each day at pharmacy going there, the question is, what did I do today?
[00:23:30] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Like, what was that? Um, I've like, what, what, what did I even accomplish? Like, what a waste of time.
[00:23:39] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: are you thinking of that from a, a professional level as, as, as a professional person, what did I accomplish? Or did you feel from inside of yourself? What have I actually done or contributed? How, where did that feeling come from?
[00:23:54] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah, I think it's both,
[00:23:57] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: definitely both because I was thinking, [00:24:00] I just sensed that I wasn't contributing the way I should be contributing to life. I felt like I kind of like if you're like a singer and you are super awesome. Um, at singing really high notes and then someone goes, comes and sees, Hey, can you come and sing this song for us?
[00:24:24] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: But we only need like low, I think it's called tenor and, and you go and you're like trying to sing and belt it out and it's not coming out right. What you're really good at is the soprano side. And so they're not making the most of your skills and talents. And I knew at the time, like, I, I knew that I wanted to tell a story.
[00:24:48] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Oh, I love storytelling. And I wanted to be out and about having conversations, having my own shots at life, like, um, [00:25:00] creativity. Um, not being restrictive to being in a, in a store or in a shop or in a factory or a clinic or whatever. So it's these things, like there was a real tension and a conflict between what, where I was and the environment that I was in, what I was doing versus what.
[00:25:19] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I started to feel like these things are what I really should be doing. And these things that I really should be doing started to become more and more profound because I started to help out at this little production. We had a little community production for fundraising and I was involved in. Telling a story as to why people started to invest in, in this fundraising and where this money has gone and promoting it and marketing it, I was like, man, I love storytelling or like doing a video for, um, a cousin for her wedding and telling the story of their love, love journey.
[00:25:54] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And I was like, spending hours editing and writing and I was, it's just like, [00:26:00] awesome. So
[00:26:01] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: that was your passion. Did, did you know that was there or is that something you discovered by being a volunteer at this organization?
[00:26:08] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: definitely discovering when you volunteer. Yeah. Because if you, sometimes you don't know stuff until you do it, right? Like, I don't know I like black tea, unless I try black tea.
[00:26:22] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah. It's really
[00:26:25] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Or, I, yeah, you gotta try it.
[00:26:29] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: there's a lot of people, I think, especially executives who were like, they're doing their thing that they've had to be done. And some of them are very successful. But they're
[00:26:38] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: not fulfilled deep inside. And they may not know exactly what it is. So were you just volunteering just to go and volunteer? You weren't expecting anything like there's any big lightbulb revelations to come off.
[00:26:52] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: yeah.
[00:26:53] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: You had just tried something different and then you discovered you enjoyed it.
[00:26:58] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah, definitely. I, because [00:27:00] it was a community project, part of our community, and I wanted to become, I wanted to be part of the production, there were, someone was asking me, do you want to come and do like, do you want to come and act, do a role, and I wouldn't mind it, but there was something more that's sort of taking me more towards promoting the event and telling the story and, you know, Evoking emotion, and video editing, making sure that I bring a video, um, music, um, and a storyline, and tell it, and yeah, stirring people something, to show that, to tell them something.
[00:27:45] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: So there's an element of telling people something. Because I used to tell people stuff in pharmacy, which is take this pill, take Voltaren for your inflammation, take this Voltaren tablet for your pain, but it was the same [00:28:00] conversation each day. There was really nothing new, nothing new at all. And I love learning new things, like a new piece of information.
[00:28:09] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I want it to be, I wanted variety and I want it to be challenging. I had to talk to different people with a certain element of like, yeah, like. It's, I think it's kind of bit of an evolve, like it really things do evolve
[00:28:24] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Did
[00:28:24] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: you, was that something you discovered about yourself? That you like to learn new things and discover new things and find out about people's stories or? Yep.
[00:28:39] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: when I was at university. It was only until I did the job in pharmacy and I was realizing this thing I'm doing every day is not new. It's boring. So if it's boring for me, if I'm finding the work I do boring and not like, it's not exciting and it's not, Challenging, [00:29:00] that means I need a job that has variety, and what I'm doing right now is not variety.
[00:29:06] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Therefore, what is a job that has variety? Um, or actually, I did love storytelling. I did watch a video of Oprah Winfrey talking about life, leadership. And whatever, and career and everything she talked about was amazing. And I connected with, and why she became a journalist. I like to write. I like variety.
[00:29:30] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I like to learn new information. Um, I like challenge. I like telling stories. I like videography and editing. Media could be a way, right? Like it, you bring it, like everything comes together. As you start to first go. I'm, I'm happy. I'm not happy with this. I've got to make a change. And that's the way the decision comes in.
[00:29:54] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Then you start to bring the thread of life, like, okay, I'm not happy. What is it in my life that I [00:30:00] really, really loved and gave me life, gave me excitement and gave me passion, but also I enjoyed it and also I would love to be paid to do that and also I am good at it, but if I train, I'll be even better at it.
[00:30:16] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And. Reflection is so important, like just journaling. I think every, every person that you talk to on the podcast says something along the lines of meditation, um, journaling or reflection when they talk about why they are so good, and maybe I should have had that in my top three. So maybe it's my top four.
[00:30:37] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Um, so, um,
[00:30:40] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: that's definitely,
[00:30:41] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah, that, that's
[00:30:42] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: where self awareness comes in and it sounds like that's, you were prepared to give something a go, because I, I think, I talk to a lot of people and just listening to them, they're like, they're in this place and they don't even want to try anything else. They don't even want to give anything else a go or [00:31:00] discover something else about themselves.
[00:31:02] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Even if they have a, you know, I actually like this, but I Why don't you try and put a little bit more effort and see how much you do like it. Oh no, I don't want to go there sort of thing. Where you were
[00:31:11] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: prepared to do that, to make that. And I often tell people that, okay, if this is where you want to go, it doesn't have to happen next week.
[00:31:22] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: It might take two,
[00:31:23] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: three, four years before that's actually what you're really doing. But if you don't start, you won't get there. And then we look back years later in regret of not having a go at least. Yeah.
[00:31:36] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Life is too short. Literally. That was my thought when I was like back in pharmacy, um, five years in, I was like, life is so short for me to just rock up so unhappy and, you know, doing a, Autonomous, monotonous for me was a bit monotonous, sometimes it was fun. It was only fun if I [00:32:00] was working with really fun people and they were all like Had a vibe and were chatting and cool and
[00:32:07] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: um were lovely to me That made it nice.
[00:32:11] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: It sort of It covered, it overshadowed the, the pain that I was feeling for being working in that place. I just didn't like it. And the people made it nice. But can you imagine when I was working with people who I really did not like? So it was like double whammy. It was like a job I hate and the people are difficult.
[00:32:32] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Like it's horrible. And life is so short. God, to do something that, oh, too short, too short.
[00:32:40] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: And it,
[00:32:41] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Nah.
[00:32:43] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: really cool because you, you actually, you discovered that, and you discovered what was different and you started looking for a new way, uh, of doing something. You knew what you didn't like. And, and when you're in that place, I think that no matter what
[00:32:57] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: happens. It just compounds the [00:33:00] dislike of it when stuff goes on except like if you have a bit of temporary relief where there's some people come in and they're fun. Um, but that
[00:33:06] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: doesn't last too long. It's
[00:33:08] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah. And you know, and you know what, I didn't know that media was a thing. Um, it was a process. I thought that I would probably be good in medicine. So I decided to go full time study, um, and have a postgraduate diploma in public health. Because I had to do something different. I had to just do something.
[00:33:30] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: So I thought I'm going to do that. I'm going to get good grades and I'm going to get into medicine. And then halfway through, that was the reflection, the learning, the thinking, the journaling, the meditating, praying. Also just having all these things at my disposal, cause I knew that, yeah, it was really important.
[00:33:49] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I discovered that it wasn't. Medicine, it was media, because of the tests that I've done online, like Myers [00:34:00] Briggs, the love language I did. I don't know, all the stuff that I, I was like, I've never done this and I don't know who I am, I don't know myself, like, gotta like figure out. Um, I've got to bring all the puzzle pieces together and it is going to involve sacrifice.
[00:34:17] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: It's going to involve, you know, being uncertain and having to really push against the big wave of people going, this is exciting, this is cool, but like, why are you leaving your cool job of pharmacy? Have you left pharmacy? Have you, like, are you sure? Like, the number of people that have told me, you So you've really left family, so you're not doing it anymore?
[00:34:41] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yes, I have. Like, it's such a cool profession and it's such an honorable profession for the right people. And we need them. And I'm just not one of them. I don't think.
[00:34:54] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: whole story and that's when I was doing my research and I found out obviously not to that depth [00:35:00] but what happened there. I just loved that story and the fact that you love telling stories and then you're like okay I'm going to go into this journalism side of things and now you've, you've got the podcast happening and you're interviewing people and bringing out their stories that can help so many other people as well. But
[00:35:15] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: it was a discovery and you actually made a decision to go and do something.
[00:35:20] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Hmm.
[00:35:21] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Which I
[00:35:21] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: think is the first thing to get people to do. It doesn't seem that easy sometimes. And I,
[00:35:28] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, you've probably got friends that are in that place where I'd like to give something to go, but I'm not game or I, I just
[00:35:35] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: can't do it for whatever reason.
[00:35:38] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: They've just got many excuses. Many,
[00:35:40] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: many. And they'll, you either make excuses or make business.
[00:35:45] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah, that's right. I love that saying. I love that saying. Um, Can you tell us a little bit, um, I'm going to, I'm going to, I hope this is okay. And like we said, this is all unedited, just going wherever, but I noticed.
[00:35:58] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I'm loving this. This is great.
[00:35:59] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Oh, cool. Me [00:36:00] too. Me too. You have
[00:36:01] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: a bit of an accent going on and it's not
[00:36:04] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: a New Zealand one. Tell me a little bit
[00:36:06] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: about your, your background and how, because not everyone has the guts to do what you're doing and stepping out on a limb, even now you're actually living what we're talking about. And that's what I love about it. It's, it's grabbing people's stories as they're happening, not just hearing it once, you
[00:36:23] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: know, the massive success has happened.
[00:36:25] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: So tell me a
[00:36:25] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: little bit, go take us back a little
[00:36:27] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: bit further.
[00:36:28] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Well, the accent comes from the Middle East,
[00:36:32] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: and I was born in the Middle East and moved to New Zealand in 99 with the family. Yeah. So I was a little bit young, but not too young. And I didn't speak any English, was just, hello, goodbye, just went to schooling and learn English. And, um, I think I also just positioned myself around people and around, and it just so happened that [00:37:00] I, I always, I've always wanted to be able to have eloquent speech and clear, precise.
[00:37:09] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: You know, like just speak really well.
[00:37:11] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And I'm, I'm definitely of the view that if you are in a city, if you're in a country that speaks a language, you've got to know it really well, and you've got to communicate that. You can't just expect to live, work, do a business and you don't know it.
[00:37:27] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: This might, you know, trigger some people, but it's actually just a simple, you know, respect.
[00:37:33] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: You can't have a French business if you don't speak French, although apparently people have businesses in France and they don't speak French, but in my case, I, um, yeah, I, we worked hard. I give thanks to my parents earlier in the days when they, mom used to write some words in English that I did not know the meaning of, and then she would write the explanation, [00:38:00] the, uh, well, the translation on the, on the other side in Arabic.
[00:38:05] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And I would come back from school and would go over it and learn, right? So you just do it, like you just have to go and learn, learn. And slowly we got, you know, better and better. I got better at school and at learning and speaking. And obviously it's a huge thing because I, I talked to a lot of, um, people in my previous podcast, the Mina Amso show.
[00:38:29] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Now it's the, now it's of the executive, now it's from the executive, but when I was doing the previous podcast, we talked a lot, um, New Zealand Iraqis and how they found moving from Iraq to New Zealand. So it's huge, right? It's so much. You have to learn the,
[00:38:47] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: it is.
[00:38:48] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: And I,
[00:38:48] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: to learn so much.
[00:38:49] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: especially for people who haven't traveled a lot, and I know Kiwis do tend to travel a lot, but, um. But if you haven't traveled, you can get very isolated. [00:39:00] And I, what you've done is fantastic. Like you've come to another country, completely different culture with a
[00:39:07] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: language you didn't know. And now you're doing journalism, interviewing people on podcasts and getting, getting their stories out. I think to me, that's huge. That's fantastic. And it, to me, it just shows that wherever you are, whatever's going on, if you want to do something. It's there, you, you've got to, you've just got to go for it.
[00:39:28] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: And you made a decision and, and had fantastic parents, which is always a great way to help if you can.
[00:39:34] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Definitely.
[00:39:35] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: but they supported you, uh, along those lines. And, and this is what I love about podcasts and telling people's stories is, is like, you, you always wanted eloquent speech. Now there's no way on earth anyone could say anything against your speech right now.
[00:39:51] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: It's fantastic. You probably speak better English than I do to be totally honest, but that's a
[00:39:56] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Oh, I don't think so.
[00:39:57] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: You've got beautiful, um, Australian [00:40:00] accent.
[00:40:00] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: thank you. But just the fact that you've, you've gone from one end of a spectrum in some ways to a completely different end of a spectrum, but you've discovered what you wanted to do and you've gone out and chased it and made it happen.
[00:40:15] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: And I think that
[00:40:16] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: is a massive message for people to hear and, and see someone. right in front of us who's done and doing exactly that.
[00:40:26] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah. And it's exciting. And I don't think of it anything, wow, to be honest, it was just something that I had to do
[00:40:33] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: because what else do you do?
[00:40:35] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Like what else? I'm not going to do pharmacy though. I better, better do something different. And if I, let's say if you're someone who's applying for jobs, because I've had moments where I've wanted to, in my life where I've applied to so many jobs and I just got nothing, what am I going to do?
[00:40:51] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: What's your, what's, what are you going to use? And, and the times of waiting to, to make this, to [00:41:00] make the most of, to make the most of it, you've got to make the most of it, right?
[00:41:04] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yep.
[00:41:05] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I had to, um, make decisions sometimes. And that's where adaptability comes in because doing something, being open to new things and doing something new.
[00:41:15] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: That's one of the traits. And I think I can relate to that as well. And you, perhaps you relate to that as well, cause you're trying something new during the podcast and you have a business as well.
[00:41:25] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah,
[00:41:25] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Um, but also being adaptable, you have to be adaptable and you have to shift. And that's the beauty. This is like when we go, I can relax because I'm going to make a decision.
[00:41:36] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I'm going to try something new. I'm going to be open to it. But I'm also going to be, I know that I'm going to change directions at some point and that's where I need to be adaptable. And so for me, and I'll give an example in media, I did the regional TV, the radio, the print. And as we know, um, media right now is going through really interesting [00:42:00] times, right?
[00:42:00] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Like all these media outlets turning, like shutting down and, um, papers stopping their publications and stuff like that. And what do we do? Like, it's just journalists. What do you do? You need a job. Um, but you have, you have to shift. You have to adapt. You either move away, go to a different, like I had to either move, travel to the UK or Australia, um, or.
[00:42:29] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Start my own thing, start my own, reinvent the podcast and start something new. And that's what I've done.
[00:42:36] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: I love it.
[00:42:36] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I had to adapt.
[00:42:38] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: even what you had going, you've adapted that and changed that to suit better. I, I
[00:42:43] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah,
[00:42:44] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: this is a message that I'm trying to get across to a lot of people is exactly what you're doing. And I'm loving interviewing someone who's actually living this all the way through right now and making it happen. And I want to encourage any, any listeners, any [00:43:00] viewers that, you know, if there's something there, just give it a shot, learn, go through what you've done Mina with your discovery process of learning what you're like, what's involved, what do I need to do? And just take some little steps and you might take a step and go, okay, that's not.
[00:43:16] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Quite like you tried to adjust and went into medicine. Now that's not it. Okay, I'm going to try this now because I think this is it. And you
[00:43:22] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: went down that track. Uh, I,
[00:43:24] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: I, I take my hat off to you. I think it's fantastic. It's not a lot of people
[00:43:28] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Thank you.
[00:43:29] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Um,
[00:43:29] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Thank you. So kind.
[00:43:31] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: going to have to wrap up soon.
[00:43:32] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: I, I would love to keep going. But, um, tell us a little bit about your podcast. The, the one that you're just about to launch. Uh, cause it's really, really exciting.
[00:43:41] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Yeah. Thank you. It's, it's a, it's a business podcast cause I'm very much interested in business, um, but it's also holistic. So I have, it's called notes from the executive and we have a YouTube channel. We're on Spotify and Apple, um, hosting, you know, entrepreneurs. [00:44:00] Business leaders, um, experts, so like a brain expert that can tell you how can we have better memory.
[00:44:06] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Um, or someone that can tell me what are some of the banned foods that we don't have in New Zealand and how good it is that, you know, um, it is banned. And if, if it's something, if you, if you buy a packet that has a banned product, what do you need to do? It's more about business. Like, how do I have a startup?
[00:44:26] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And, but it could also be, how do I be productive? How, how did I make a hundred million? In 10 years, you know, like, so I, we host some established successful business owners and yeah, launching in two weeks. So whenever this is going to go to air, but yeah, so very exciting. Lots of work.
[00:44:47] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Now that's
[00:44:47] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: awesome. Well, I'll probably launch about a week from when this actually goes to air.
[00:44:51] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Uh, yeah, cool,
[00:44:53] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: So yeah, so you'll be
[00:44:54] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: able to jump on and people will be able to jump on and find it. And obviously we're going to have put the links to all those [00:45:00] things in the show notes as well.
[00:45:01] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: So people can find
[00:45:02] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: you. Um, now two questions I always ask at the end of every podcast to everyone we get on, uh, we talk about creating the life you want, um, which to me is the ultimate tomorrow. So if I was asked to you, Mina, what is the ultimate tomorrow to you?
[00:45:21] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: The ultimate tomorrow is today. It's going to be a bit of a paradox to your, to your podcast name. Today is not tomorrow. What I'm going to say is this, um, I believe in the being in the present. So if you are in the present. You're going to want to be the best version of yourself in the present, because this is what you have.
[00:45:43] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: You don't have tomorrow yet. Yesterday is already done. Right now is the only thing. What you do right now is going to be super good for tomorrow. So, yes, let's look at tomorrow and be like, I want to be X. But then quickly come back to the present and go, [00:46:00] right now I'm going to work on myself and I'm going to reflect.
[00:46:03] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: I'm going to journal. I'm going to speak to someone about this decision that I have to make. So today, this today is the only thing that you have. So focus on it.
[00:46:15] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: I love that. And it's, it's, that's exactly what we talk about here. Do now, build the habits now to create that. You have to do it now. You pretty much answered the quest, the next question, but I'm going to ask it anyway, in case you want to have a little twist on it by any chance, is how do you create the ultimate tomorrow?
[00:46:34] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: How do I create it? I think it starts with mindset, right? Um, the mind. It starts with the mind, with a thought, and then it becomes action, and then it becomes a habit, and then it becomes tomorrow, and then it becomes ten years. So, please pay attention to your mind, because it's so [00:47:00] powerful, and I speak that to myself as well.
[00:47:02] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Um, so, Be present, I'm, I'm, I'm being present to the day and I'm like, being aware of my mind and what I'm thinking about, what I'm believing and yeah, just reflect, please reflect.
[00:47:24] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: yeah,
[00:47:24] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yeah.
[00:47:25] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: reflect. 100 percent have to do that. Reviewing stuff we talk about. With all the coaching we do, same thing. We reflect on the last week, the last month, the last three months. And what do we learn and grow from that and change and adjust or what do we re
[00:47:38] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: emphasize or whatever. 100%.
[00:47:41] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Mina, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast.
[00:47:44] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: It's been an absolute pleasure. I love where you went. I love your story. And I know people
[00:47:49] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: are going to get so much out of, out of what you've, uh, told us and talk to us about today.
[00:47:56] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: No, you're welcome. Thank you, Kingsley. It's been a pleasure. And, um, [00:48:00] thank you for having a cool podcast. I, I know that people are being inspired and encouraged by you and by what you present. And you've got such, um, wonderful vision for it as well. And I believe it's going to be better and better and better.
[00:48:16] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: And, um, yeah, go well. Thank you for the opportunity.
[00:48:21] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Thank you. Oh, one more question I forgot to ask is, uh, where can people
[00:48:24] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: find you or connect with you the best? Awesome.
[00:48:28] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Um, people can find me on. So notes from the executive, this is where if they want to find out about the episode and we drop an episode every week, starting September the spring, but, um, we also have clips on Instagram, so not from the executive on Instagram, that's where we're a bit more active. I'm actually going live on Instagram on this Wednesday, just talking about.
[00:48:54] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Um, answering all the questions that people have been asking me about, what is your podcast about and [00:49:00] who's going to come and dah, dah, dah. So yeah, it would be really fantastic if you'd like to support. Um, Oh, actually I've been telling people if you like the episodes. Do not share it to anybody. It's like a reverse psychology.
[00:49:14] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: People's gonna start sharing it everywhere. Um, but yeah, like I, um, yeah, Instagram come say hi Instagram. Um, and yeah, YouTube would be nice.
[00:49:26] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Yep, no, we'll definitely put all those in the show notes and I'm sure there will definitely people connecting with you. Fantastic.
[00:49:32] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: Thanks Mina. Have
[00:49:33] squadcaster-e766_1_08-19-2024_121323: a awesome day and remember create the life you want.
[00:49:37] mina_1_08-19-2024_141323: Thank you Kingsley. You too.