From Adversity to Entrepreneurial Success: Cheryl Sharp’s Journey to Building a Thriving Accounting Business

Speaker 1 Hello, everybody, and welcome to the UCAN podcast. I'm your host, Sarah Jolly Jarvis, and today I am joined by Cheryl Sharp, who we're going to be talking around kind of

Speaker 1 out of adversity comes opportunity and Cheryl's journey to starting up a business and all that that involved. So, welcome, Cheryl.
Please do tell us a little bit about yourself.

Speaker 2 Yeah, cool. Hi, I'm Cheryl, and thank you for inviting me on today.

Speaker 2 So, I'm Cheryl. I am a business owner.
I'm a mum, a wife,

Speaker 2 uh, an Equestrian, and I set up my business in 2014

Speaker 2 as an accountancy business.

Speaker 2 It was just after I left an abusive marriage, and it was an opportunity for me to take some control back of my own life, to get some flexibility around the boys

Speaker 2 and to get some financial freedom and just freedom in general, generally, but specifically that financial freedom that I desperately needed and wanted.

Speaker 2 Yeah, and I'm sure we're going to go into a lot more detail as we go through.

Speaker 1 So, you know, when you set up your business, so you know, you left that marriage and you had the boys with you. You know, from what were you looking at, what were you currently doing?

Speaker 1 What was your job?

Speaker 2 So, I didn't actually have a job at all when I first left him.

Speaker 2 So, I had absolutely no financial freedom.

Speaker 2 I then went and joined an accountancy practice in London and

Speaker 2 I was working five days a week but around the boys and luckily it was a friend that given me a role there and they would let me just set my own hours.

Speaker 2 So I literally would drop the boys at school at nine, run down to the train station, jump on a train, get into London for 10 to start a 10,

Speaker 2 leave at half two again running back down to the train station to get pick the boys up at half three and then on a friday they would generally go to their dad so i'd stay and do like a full day um

Speaker 2 but yeah it was very

Speaker 2 that must have been stressful yeah it was hard it was a lot it took a took a big toll really because it was just constant on the go and how long did you do that for

Speaker 2 uh

Speaker 2 Timeline's a bit out now, but probably about a year or so.

Speaker 1 It's quite a decent length of time. And before that, were you a stay-at-home and that's why you weren't financially dependent?

Speaker 2 Yeah, I stayed at home. I did, um, I did his account, he run his own business, and I run his accounts and things, and some other bits and pieces.

Speaker 2 So, I kind of had my hand in it, but wasn't working full-time at all. It was more just that was a massive change, yeah, massive.

Speaker 1 That was that, that must have taken a real

Speaker 1 a real big kind of leap of everything.

Speaker 2 It did,

Speaker 2 but I also enjoy working and I enjoy having that independence and being my own person so yeah

Speaker 2 I

Speaker 2 enjoy working which is probably a bit sad but I do

Speaker 1 I do too because I feel quite good at it so I'm like actually the parenting time side of things sometimes I'm like

Speaker 1 I feel like I'm really winging it and I'm really I don't feel quite as good but it's quite nice to be able to to go to work and have something that you're you think you know what i'm i'm really i'm really good at this so how did so you're setting up your own business how did that come about how did you fit that in that so i was moving um house and where i was initially i could get into london and out in an hour so it kind of fitted and worked but where i was moving to was another hour away So there was, I had no chance at all.

Speaker 2 I wasn't even near a train station. So there was just no way it was going to work.

Speaker 2 So

Speaker 2 I thought, what can I do? I was like, I spoke to a few people in the area, and there was nothing available in school hours because back then, school hours wasn't really a job.

Speaker 2 How long ago were we going back? How long ago? That would have been 11-12 years ago. Yeah.

Speaker 2 So yeah, school hours working was not a thing.

Speaker 2 And the flexibility side wasn't either part-time, a few days a week, or nothing else. and obviously, term time as well.

Speaker 2 You couldn't get any term time-only jobs, literally, and you'd have to work the full 52. Obviously, with holiday, but a full 52 weeks of the year.
Um,

Speaker 2 so I was like, Oh, this is not gonna work because I had no help whatsoever, and I knew nobody where I was moving to, so it's not like I could even um ask friends to help me out because I didn't know anyone and no family.

Speaker 1 What possessed you to move somewhere? What where did that come around?

Speaker 2 Oh, it was um, long story short, um, I was seeing a guy at the time, and all his friends were there and I had no real ties where I was. So I was like, yeah, okay, let's move.
And

Speaker 2 yeah, I went with that.

Speaker 2 Although

Speaker 2 I really believe that everything happens for a reason, and there was something that was meant to get me out to that location because that's where I met my current husband, who is my Prince Charmin.

Speaker 2 And if I hadn't have done that move, then I would never have met him.

Speaker 1 I do feel like that.

Speaker 1 With big moves, it's definitely just something that's meant to be around it.

Speaker 2 Yeah, definitely. Um,

Speaker 2 so

Speaker 2 I was just like, oh, well,

Speaker 2 this is not going to work. I can't find another job.
And the accounting practice I was working for said they'd give me some bookkeeping to do from home.

Speaker 2 That's how I initially started with them in the first place. It kind of was going in a bit of a full circle and they'd outsource some to me.

Speaker 2 And I was like, okay, well, maybe I can set up on my own and I can do other people's bookkeeping and accounts and stuff. So I was like, okay, let's do it then.
So I set up the business.

Speaker 2 One of my friends was doing some tax returns on the side. So I kind of chatted to her a little bit and understood how it all works.

Speaker 2 Set up the business.

Speaker 2 And then the accountancy practice never actually followed through with the work they promised me. So I was like, okay, what do I do now?

Speaker 2 But I'd already kind of committed and I'd already got myself in that mindset. So then it was a case of right, well, now I need to find out how to get clients.

Speaker 2 And the only thing I knew from my ex's business was he went networking and he did B and I all the breakfast ones but when you're a single mum with two children you cannot go to breakfast club so it was a case of right well why now

Speaker 2 so it was then a case of right I need to find some daytime networking which again 11 years ago was not that many around

Speaker 2 so it was just WIBN that I found

Speaker 2 and went along to one and then I guess the rest is history from there which has grown and grown and grown and things now are a lot more flexible.

Speaker 2 There are a lot more freedoms around, and there's a lot more networking that is good for mums in my situation. So,

Speaker 1 definitely. So, how when did you transition? Because I found you and became aware of you, and we had conversations online.
So, you're on Instagram. So, how did that, how did that fit in?

Speaker 1 Where does that fit in? And where does the in-person stuff, how much in-person stuff do you still do?

Speaker 2 So, I went for a stage where I did no in-person networking because I'm a complete introvert and not my type of thing.

Speaker 2 I don't find it easy or enjoyable and it really drains me.

Speaker 2 So for a long time I stopped and we completely went online word of mouth and I didn't really, I don't want it to come across because I didn't need to network because we had enough information to grow and everything.

Speaker 2 And I still had a bit of handing because I've made the connections, I'd made all the

Speaker 2 built all the relationships and things. So I still had a lot of people that were referring, and I didn't need to go out face to face.

Speaker 2 And then, obviously, COVID happened and everything, so nobody was out. So, nobody was going face-to-face.

Speaker 2 And yeah, recently it's been a case of right, I'm ready now to go back out and do a bit more. So, I have now started going back out and I'm starting to go to different groups.

Speaker 2 And it's really nice because

Speaker 2 where the business is going,

Speaker 2 we're kind of in different locations as well. So,

Speaker 2 it's really nice that I can branch out and go to different areas that I hadn't before because before I was very much in like Bishop Sortford and Hertfordshire way where now I'm more in the Essex way and I'm branching out more up there than North Essex and even going up to Cambridge and things so it's really nice to meet new people

Speaker 2 outside the area. Scary and it drains me and I drain it.

Speaker 2 But once I'm there it's quite nice and I do like meeting people and getting to build those relationships.

Speaker 2 But I still enjoy it. I think the online, it feels safer.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 1 Yeah. And you're pretty active online as well, aren't you?

Speaker 2 Yeah, I've taken a little bit of a break at the moment because

Speaker 2 I've been a little bit figure. The business pages are really active still because the team look after them.
But my personal page.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I've been a little bit less active recently because I've just been trying to work out

Speaker 2 I think a lot of business owners will see it's every time you get to a different stage in business, you start having a little bit of like, Where am I? Who am I?

Speaker 2 because you're leveling up and it's like evolving, you evolve, don't you? You evolve, and you've got to meet the new version of yourself.

Speaker 2 And I think I'm going through one of them stages at the moment where I'm not quite sure.

Speaker 2 Well, I wasn't, I'm there now, but now I've just got a re-plan now to where I know where I am. But I went through a stage of I wasn't quite sure where I was, what my role was,

Speaker 2 where I've stepped back from the accountancy business on the day-to-day side, so I'm just running it now so it's like okay well I am still technically an accountant because I am still fucked and trained however I don't actually do accounts anymore so I'm not an accountant I run an accountancy business and trying to get my head around that a little bit and some of my passion bits as well it's like how do they all intertwine and connect yeah

Speaker 2 everything so yeah it's been a bit but I will be back very soon

Speaker 1 so that kind of because it is it is a real journey isn't it if you think about where you start off from and the way that you connect with clients and then how it evolves and you evolve, your business evolves, your ideal client evolves.

Speaker 1 And so, yeah, your messaging does evolve. Was this an intentional evolution?

Speaker 1 Or is this just what you've, you know, did you sit down and look at business trajectory, where you want to go with it and make intentional shifts? Or has this been a kind of evolving thing?

Speaker 2 It's been an evolving thing, a little bit strategic, a little bit,

Speaker 2 let's see where it's going kind of thing. So, initially, I knew I wanted to work with mums and I knew I wanted to help people similar to me get freedom

Speaker 2 through their business. And

Speaker 2 let's face it, accounts is scary for most people.

Speaker 2 If you're not trained accountant or bookkeeper or have any interest in that kind of line of work, it's very scary for business owners, and it's one of the unfortunate parts of for most people anyway, it's one of the most unfortunate parts of running a business.

Speaker 2 You have to deal with it.

Speaker 1 it's like sales and marketing yeah i feel like we're the unwanted extras

Speaker 2 um

Speaker 2 so

Speaker 2 so yeah i wanted to be able to help women with that and to

Speaker 2 do it so predominantly i was working with women and mums specifically um

Speaker 2 and then as my team grew my team were mostly mums at the time so kind of that felt natural but then as my team grew even more they wasn't all mums and but they had their own families on what they deemed as families, so like their pets, their friends.

Speaker 2 It's the family they make.

Speaker 1 It's priorities, it's priorities outside of, isn't it?

Speaker 2 It's outside of work, yeah. So

Speaker 2 it felt inauthentic, not inauthentic, but it didn't feel quite aligned and messaging and everything. So that kind of evolved to be more the family, the lifestyle that you want.

Speaker 2 So it was still there, but it just was, I suppose, sharpened a little bit.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 2 And I think as I'd done more work on myself, my mindset,

Speaker 2 and I voiced one of my long, long-term aspirations, if I won the lottery goals to my coach, that sharing my...

Speaker 1 Which was what?

Speaker 2 What was your long-term aspiration? Oh, I really haven't shared this with many people. I would love to have some kind of

Speaker 2 centre. I guess some kind of

Speaker 2 place

Speaker 2 where women who have been in abusive situations can come, they can have some, not respite, but they can come, they can learn how to run a business, they can learn how to be themselves again, have help with mindset,

Speaker 2 have daycare. So you've got, you can bring the kids and the kids aren't a barrier.
And just somewhere safe to work with other people where you know it's safe and people just get you.

Speaker 2 So some kind of center like that.

Speaker 2 And a bit more. But yeah.

Speaker 1 That's amazing.

Speaker 2 I'd love

Speaker 1 that would be good. That would be good.
So are you making steps towards that? Hopefully your coach was like, right, okay.

Speaker 2 She's like, okay, well, that is a dream.

Speaker 2 Not unachievable dream, but it is a longer-term dream. She said, so what can we do now? She's very much like, let's take the first step.
What's the baby step?

Speaker 2 And so the baby step initially was, well, I need to share my story.

Speaker 2 I don't need to, but that's part of it, to raise awareness, to share that it is possible for people who've come from adversity, not just abuse relationships, there's all different types of adversity, but that it is possible for you to turn your life around and that not be your story.

Speaker 2 That be part of your story, a chapter, a couple of chapters, depends on how long it's been. But

Speaker 2 that's, you can do it. You can go on and do whatever you want to do afterwards.
So

Speaker 2 I think that was the first step for me. And then helping other women to set up their business is my next step.
and that's where I am at the moment.

Speaker 2 I want to help people that have been in that situation and are free because I'm not the right person to help people get free.

Speaker 2 No, no, but I have plenty of contacts so I can help people point them in the right direction, but it's not me.

Speaker 2 But once they are ready to then start that next chapter, I can be there to help them to set up a business, to grow a business.

Speaker 2 If they've already got a business, to get back into it, to grow it to however they want it to be.

Speaker 2 And that's kind of my steps towards what I want to do longer term.

Speaker 1 And that's the thing, isn't it? Is you don't have to have the whole shebang to be chipping away at. And also, it's like, well, what with that are you trying to do?

Speaker 1 And it's like, actually, you can provide the support, the aspiration, the opportunities without having that physical center.

Speaker 1 And that's the thing is, is sometimes we have, it's like, well, I've got to wait. I've got to wait until I've got this.
And I've got to wait until I've got that.

Speaker 1 And it's actually, you can be doing those things in the meantime.

Speaker 1 And that's, you know, it's what can I do right now with the resources I have?

Speaker 1 So, two questions off that because I yeah because you've said about first first steps before isn't it and it's really is breaking it down.

Speaker 1 Did you have help when you decided to leave? Did somebody or did you do that off your own back?

Speaker 2 Yeah I thought all off my own back but I wished I'd had somebody yeah but I didn't have anything and I guess part of that was I wasn't admitting to myself that I needed the help

Speaker 2 because I think that's a big thing as well. A lot of people

Speaker 2 are scared to ask for help but also scared admitting that they need the help. Yeah.

Speaker 2 Scare is a big thing, but I think it's a really, really brave thing to ask for help. And I wish I'd felt brave enough to do it sooner.
But again, things happen for a reason.

Speaker 2 And I truly believe that the reason I wasn't ready is because I hadn't met the right person. And when I met the right person to help me,

Speaker 2 I asked for help and I got the help and I was able to work on myself. And for a long time, I did have a counsellor and my coach.

Speaker 2 My My coach is a business and mindset coach, so we've got that perfect blend. And I needed the counsellor to get me over the initial real depression and anxiety side of it.

Speaker 2 And I wouldn't say I'm cured, no one's ever cured, but I've got that under control mostly now.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 I just need the business and mindset side. So I've been with her now for four years.
And

Speaker 2 yeah,

Speaker 2 worth her weight of gold.

Speaker 1 And do you think you would be where you were? Because that is interesting, because a couple of episodes ago I was talking to somebody over mentoring.

Speaker 1 And, you know, do you think that you would be where you are without your coach?

Speaker 2 No, definitely not. No, she's really has

Speaker 2 I can't even describe it and put it into words, but she's helped, and it's not, she's unlocked something in me. The work we've done together is, um,

Speaker 2 yeah, she's helped me to believe in myself, give give me the confidence and self-worth, and everything else that I needed to be able to go on and grow.

Speaker 2 And the proofs in the pudding, because beforehand,

Speaker 2 and I'll stick with the business success because it's quantifiable.

Speaker 2 But literally, when you look at my business before working with her, and within two years of working with her, I doubled what I'd done in six years, I doubled in two.

Speaker 2 So

Speaker 2 I think there's proof there.

Speaker 1 Yeah, that it works. Definitely.
Definitely. It works.
It works. And yeah, it does pay for itself, doesn't it?

Speaker 2 It definitely does. And I now,

Speaker 2 it's really weird because I've speak to a few other people who work with her as well.

Speaker 2 It's like, I know now when I'm needing a session because, or I'm getting close to a session, because I feel like I'm dipping, dipping, dipping, dipping, dipping, have a session and top up and then carry on.

Speaker 2 It's really weird. I don't, that probably doesn't explain it very well.

Speaker 1 No, no, it does make sense because I think it is, you get the momentum, don't you?

Speaker 1 And I think that's the thing with working on your own is it's it can get really lonely um and even if you're not in a position to have a coach or a mentor or anybody like that right now it's having it's it's getting those boosts and that might be listening to a podcast or talking to other people in a similar position to you or just tapping into like listening into conversations

Speaker 1 for example on the podcast but also in groups of other people where you can see actually yeah other people are going through a similar thing for me this person's really inspiring because they've gone beyond inspiring books it can all help you to kind of top up that energy and momentum momentum to kind of keep going, isn't it?

Speaker 2 Yeah, definitely. And I think the thing is working for yourself, is

Speaker 2 when you have a boss,

Speaker 2 you're generally going to have deadlines on things that you're working on.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 for me as an accountant, I've always had deadlines because we've got the HMRC filing deadlines.

Speaker 2 So the client work has always had the deadlines, but the working on the business has never had deadlines. It's never had anything.
And if I don't do something, well, you know, I haven't done it.

Speaker 2 I'm not accountable to anyone. So, even just that side of having a coach, I'm accountable to someone now.

Speaker 2 And if I say I was going to do something, by the next time I saw her, you can guarantee I'm going to do it.

Speaker 2 Not that she's going to tell me off, obviously, but it's that whole

Speaker 2 you know, like when your parents say they're disappointed,

Speaker 2 it's that, isn't it?

Speaker 1 And also, I think there is, because I read the chimp paradox, um,

Speaker 1 and in there he talks around your chimp likes to, like, if you're gonna, if it says it's gonna do something, it likes to

Speaker 1 follow through on it. And I think there is that.
I mean, I think the analogy he used in the book was like something like, you tell people you invite them around to see your newly decorated room

Speaker 1 because then you'll decorate it.

Speaker 1 So, you know, there is definitely something to that, which is a lot harder to do on your own. It's a lot harder to give yourself a pep talk.

Speaker 1 And there is that kind of feeling of like, well, you know, no one's telling me.

Speaker 1 In fact, it's interesting because there's a couple of correlations with you that I hadn't realized the horsey side of stuff because you you put out a post about which I was like oh I knew I knew there's a reason I like that woman and

Speaker 1 and so yeah you know obviously I'm very fond of my horses and then the other thing was you're running the London Marathon and I think sometimes it's very much I'm going through the training now

Speaker 1 I applied for the last 11 years I've applied and I've managed to get a place with Macmillan

Speaker 1 which is a charity very close to my heart And so

Speaker 1 I'll be running for them.

Speaker 1 But it is that, because you're on the treadmill and you're like, oh, I could walk now.

Speaker 1 And it's like my head's actually going, just press that button. That button.
That button now will slow it down. You could just walk.
And I'm like, no. And it's that constant.

Speaker 1 But that's the thing is, is you can press that button, you can walk and no one's noticing.

Speaker 1 But you're not.

Speaker 1 progressing you're not developing as you want to be and that's the thing but it on a day-to-day basis it's so hard to keep to keep pushing and and to and and to not give yourself that easier ride.

Speaker 1 Just for me, you know, it can be very difficult. I've spoken to people who, you know, they're in relationships which are abusive and they don't necessarily know, you know, because

Speaker 1 you've got

Speaker 1 the blaming and the gaslighting and everything else that can go with it.

Speaker 1 For somebody who's like, you know what? this person makes me unhappy and I feel unhappy and I'm less and less confident in myself. What would you say to that person?

Speaker 1 What's the starting point with this?

Speaker 2 I think the first one is recognizing this isn't what I want,

Speaker 2 and

Speaker 2 that's really hard for a number of different reasons because quite often you'll be like, Well, it's me.

Speaker 2 Generally, it's not you.

Speaker 1 But you're made to feel it's you, and then it's the confidence in you, isn't it?

Speaker 2 That goes.

Speaker 2 But also, then it's like, well, I think you become resigned to it because you're like, Well,

Speaker 2 I know know this, all right? I'm not happy, or it's not perfect, but I know it, and it's

Speaker 2 safe for that reason. Not safe as in you are safe, but it's safe because you know the situation

Speaker 2 and it's familiar. Um, but you don't know what anything else looks like, and that's scarier than staying quite a lot of the time.

Speaker 2 Um, but I think the first step is recognizing yourself that something's got to change, and then when something when you're ready for that, reach out to somebody.

Speaker 2 Women's Aid and Refuge. Refuge, you've got the

Speaker 2 national helpline, which I can give the details for. We can put in the show notes if you want.

Speaker 2 And somebody there will be able to help you and help point you in the right direction and help you to make those arrangements.

Speaker 2 I would also recommend speaking to your employer because not many employers will have

Speaker 2 policies or any references where to go, but that's the mission that I'm on to change because I think all employers should, because it's an easy way you can support your teams. Why wouldn't you?

Speaker 2 But just see what they can do to help as well. Because even like simple things, like if at the moment your wages are paid into a joint account, asking your employer to put them into a separate account

Speaker 2 can make all the difference because then you've got your own money and you can

Speaker 2 do leave.

Speaker 2 So it's little things like that that people can start doing.

Speaker 2 And if you are a friend of someone that you can see someone else is going through it, a loved one or a friend, again, Speak to Refuge because they've got people they're trained to support friends and family, to help them support their friends.

Speaker 2 And just listening and not judging. I think that's a really big thing is a lot of people on the outside can't understand is why don't they just leave?

Speaker 2 And it's not that simple from what I've just said.

Speaker 2 Most of the time is because they're scared to leave or they've got this image in their head, especially if they've got children, mum, dad, and children, who don't want to break the family up.

Speaker 2 So, there's all these things, as well as not feeling that they can or they should or anything else.

Speaker 2 So, it's you can't force somebody to leave, you have to, they have to make that decision for themselves.

Speaker 1 Yeah, definitely. And I guess, from an employer point of view, there will be employers who they'll be able to see the change in that individual, and

Speaker 1 you know, they're probably like, Oh, thank goodness, you've realised too. Um, or you know, they're able to see that that's what's wrong.

Speaker 1 Um, and it is that the first step, I suppose, is admitting it and saying it out loud, isn't it?

Speaker 2 It is. And just to a trust, sometimes it's easier to say it to a trusted friend.
Sometimes it's easier to say it to a stranger. It just depends on who that person is.
But even

Speaker 2 if somebody wanted to reach out to me online on Instagram or Facebook, or not Facebook, but on there, sorry, Instagram or LinkedIn, for example, and just reach out to say, I think this is me.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 2 Do it. I mean, I'm here to lend a hand, lend an ear.
I can't necessarily help you get out of it directly, but I'm always open to listening and that.

Speaker 2 Because sometimes it is easier to speak out to a stranger because it feels safer because you're not committing to telling somebody you know.

Speaker 1 You know, yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense. And you know, from

Speaker 1 your story, where you are now, you've got your business, you've got very clear aspirations, you're on a team day.

Speaker 1 Um, you know, it is that it is very, very possible. You know, you left with no job no financial stability no nothing no you are proof that it is doable

Speaker 2 if I always say if I can do it then so can other people

Speaker 2 it is possible it is hard work don't get me wrong there's been some hard work there's been lots of tears I've had to ask for help

Speaker 2 I've had days where I thought I can't do this I'm just gonna give everything up

Speaker 2 and why am I doing it kind of thing but they're the bad days the good days way outweigh the bad days. And yeah, if I can do it, anyone can.
I've not, I'm nothing special.

Speaker 1 And that's the thing is, is it makes I was talking to somebody recently on a podcast, and we were saying about how when you're when you're in a situation, even if it's not a good situation, as you say, it's you're not necessarily actually safe, but you haven't died yet.

Speaker 1 And so your body wants to keep you in that situation. Your head wants to keep that situation because they know that you're not dead in that situation.

Speaker 1 Whereas, and it's that whole like that's that's the thing with our kind of programming is it's very it's very sort of it it's very updated. And the thing is, is it's not around.

Speaker 1 There isn't this thing over, you know, actually, it's your body, your brain is not designed to keep you in a place to make you happy.

Speaker 1 It's the happiness or anything else, or actually, feasibility.

Speaker 2 It's in the short term, we're all right here because we're not dead.

Speaker 2 dead.

Speaker 2 And it is, yeah, your body, your brain is like you're safe here because you know here, but oh, that's scary over there.

Speaker 2 We don't know what that is, and I with the horses, even more so now, I get that because they

Speaker 2 this still amazes my husband, they are scared of the tiniest little things, they literally are scared of their own shadow sometimes, and

Speaker 2 it's because their brain doesn't know that that's okay, and it's fine. And that's exactly how we feel in those kinds of situations.
We don't know the other side. We don't know what's coming.

Speaker 2 We don't know. And that is scarier

Speaker 2 than the current situation. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Which is, you know, absolutely understandable why people stay per, but there is a way. And, you know, you've lived that.
And, you know, you are proof that you can make that happen.

Speaker 1 And, you know, you're on your mission to help other people do the same thing.

Speaker 2 Yeah, and I think that's the biggest thing I want to show people through telling my story.

Speaker 2 It's not to show off or be arrogant or anything like that. I'm not.

Speaker 2 What I want to show is it is possible and there is hope afterwards and I think that is the thing I desperately want to share and show that it is possible and you don't have to stay stuck and it's not, yes, don't get me wrong, it is going to be hard.

Speaker 2 There are going to be moments that are scary but once you push through and you're there,

Speaker 2 it's so worth it. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you so much, Cheryl, for your time.
It has been so lovely to chat to you. And guys, we will pop those bits of information and where you can find Cheryl in the show notes.

Speaker 1 Cheryl, where's the best place to find you?

Speaker 2 Probably on Instagram. I'm at Iam Cheryl Sharp.
Okay. Cheryl, C-H-E-R-Y-L sharp with no E.

Speaker 2 Justin Awkward.

Speaker 1 But other than that, a totally uncomplicated no.

Speaker 1 Very google-able.

Speaker 2 I've got the worst. My son says that all the time when his friends Google me at his school.

Speaker 1 All the joys.

Speaker 1 Well, thank you so, so much, Errol. It's been a pleasure speaking to you.
Uh, join me again next week, guys, where I'm going to have a solo episode.

Speaker 1 Um, we're going to be talking more around growing your business. So, that's it for me, guys, this week.

Speaker 2 Bye for now.

Speaker 2 Thank you.