Episode 130 - Stepping outside the herd mentality at 66 - with Gail Keyes-Allen
Gail Keyes-Allen is a coach for high-achieving female entrepreneurs and host of the (B)old Black Lady Podcast. Gail tells us about how she left her marriage and then later her stable job in a law firm to become her own boss and why she believes every woman should know how to make money without a job as a way to bring more freedom into their life. If you feel stuck in an unfulfilling job or relationship, this week’s episode is going to shake you up.
Topics
Doing whatever you put your mind to.
Society's conditioning and the pursuit of perfection.
Challenging societal norms and expectations.
Exploring new ways to make money through play and curiosity.
Links
What would you do if you had the AUDACITY to act on your "weird" ideas?
Where to find Gail:
Gail on Instagram: @gailkeyesallen
Gail’s podcast: The (B)old Black Lady Podcast
Transcript
[AUTO-GENERATED]
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:00:00]:
Welcome to the Self Growth Nerd's Podcast. I'm your host, Marie, a courage coach, creative soul, and adventure seeker. Since through hiking, the Pacific Crestrail in 2019, I'm on a mission to help you embrace your most confident self so you can achieve your dreams too. If you're eager for deep conversations, big questions, and meaningful connections, join me on the quest to discovering how we can create a more magical and memorable life.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:00:30]:
Hello, nerds. How are you? I am good. we are the morning. I just finished drinking my coffee, and you are the first people I am talking to. before we jump into today's conversation with someone I really love, I wanna tell you about something exciting that's coming in September. I'm going to work with 8 people individually to make the last 4 months of 2023 the most daring end of year they've ever had. I decided to call this offer the opacity because I was reflecting on the traits that helped me change my life, and that was the main one. I was looking back, like, 5 years ago, It was a clear moment that I remember when I was scrolling Instagram, I was sitting on the toilet full disclosure, You know, you you do it too. I was scrolling Instagram, looking at all of those super inspiring through Hiker accounts, people who were on the Pacific Restrail, a Pollition Trail, Continental Divide, and I I told myself, I had 2 thoughts. First, I thought I can't keep living vicariously through others while being bored in my life. I cannot do another summer of looking at other people's lives, thinking that I'm going to have regrets about mine if I don't act and do something different. So that was one of my train of thoughts. And then the other one was like, well, if they do it, why the hell can I be able to do it as well. I had reached a point where I was annoyed with my own bullshit. And a friend of mine, recommended a coaching podcast called, unfuck your brain with Carol Lowentile that introduced me to the idea that you can change what you believe about yourself. And when you do that, you change what you do with your life. I had never heard of coaching before, or, you know, I knew the term life coach, but that's about it. And that podcast blew my mind. For the first time, I had the audacity to believe I could do something epic, like, through hiking, the Pacific Crestrail, even though people told me I suck at sports all my life, even though people told me that I should start with a shorter hike even though they said it was a bad idea to leave my partner behind for 6 months, I just decided to do it despite the odds. And that mindset right there, doing it despite the odds, changed my life, not just once, but again and again and again in the last 5 years. When I changed career from graphic designer and illustrator to become a life coach because I had become obsessed, and I still am in guiding people through the transformation that coaching had offered me. first through listening to podcasts and then hiring my own coaches who blew my mind and helped me see myself in a different, more empowering light, then that mindset changed my life again when I set the goal to make a $100,000 in my business. And, again, when I decided to leave a 7 year long relationship a few months ago, even though it was a good relationship, it was, good enough, but it was not exactly what I am aspiring to. All these decisions terrified me. The feeling in my body was like, how dare you? But in the face of self doubt and everyone telling you it's a bad idea, especially your inner critic, you know what I learned to say? I learned to say watch me. And I think that's how you become someone who doesn't make excuses, someone that you are proud of, that you can stand up for, and you can say, I have no regrets, and I love who I am becoming because I know I'm not making decisions. based on what other people are going to think. Every time I have the audacity to aim higher for myself, I unlock a new level in me, and I blow my own mind. So that's why I decided to create this new 4 month 1 on 1 coaching offer called the audacity. This is for those of you who have reached a point where you're tired of postponing your big dreams and never quite betting on yourself. Or maybe you don't have any specific big dreams, but you know that you have been playing small. you know that you have kind of been dumbing yourself down in subtle ways that you have not been going all in, whether it be at work or your personal projects or in your relationships that you have been settling because you're afraid to put it all on the table. That is for you. There's only eight spots. So if you've been listening to this podcast for a while and thinking, actually, I'm curious about this. I'd like I think I'd like to work with Marie someday. make sure to book a call now so that we can check where a good fit. We're gonna talk about what what where you are in your life and where you could be if you had the audacity to go after what's calling your heart. Okay? I'm gonna leave you with a quote that I really love from my favorite movie beginners, and it goes like this. Half of the people think things won't work out. The other half believes in magic. Now I wanna ask you, what half do you want to be part of? And, of course, you were gonna say I wanna be part of the half who believes in magic, but is this how you have been showing up in your life? or have you been showing up with a foot on the break? Now you're gonna need to be honest with yourself here. It's one thing to say, yes, I believe in magic. Yes. I'm gonna go for my dreams, but how have you been acting in the day today? You know, you know, if you've been playing small, you know deep in your heart. So go to selfgrowthnerds.com/audacity, and there will be a big yellow button there for you to book a call and decide if you wanna work together to end the year in a way that's gonna make you really proud. Okay. Now let's jump into a super inspiring conversation. That's also gonna kick your butt a little bit.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:07:27]:
Today, we have a guest that I love very much. Her name is Gail Keys Allen, Welcome Gail.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:07:37]:
Thank you. Thanks for having me.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:07:39]:
Gail is a coach for high achieving female entrepreneurs. She has a podcast called the old black lady podcast. And I'm just gonna tell you guys how I met her because it's a fun story. And then I'm gonna let you, Gail, tell my listeners a little bit about yourself. Thank you. So I was in a class, an online course called the reinvention class. I think it was last year or 2 years ago, and Gail came on. And she said to the coach, she said, I'm sixty six years old, and by the time I'm seventy 6, I want to have made $10,000,000. And I thought she was so badass. So after the class, I messaged her like a fan girl on Instagram. And I said, who are you? I wanna talk to you. Let's get together. and And, yeah, from then, we started talking. I went on your podcast. You came to teach my clients about money, a bunch of stuff, And yeah. Now tell my clients who you are a little bit about you, and then we're gonna jump into my questions for you.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:08:54]:
Yeah. So I am Gail Keyes-Allen. And when I say I'm a bold black lady, I put paralysis around the "B" because I'm people look at me and think she's an old black lady, but I'm a bold black lady. God, don't define me as an old black lady I guess I should talk about that more, hon, because now I'm sixty-seven years old, and nobody ever believes my age I don't act my age as people, you know, I don't know. They think there's a certain way you're supposed to act when you're a certain age, but, I'm curious about everything. I help all the people. Yes. I help mostly entrepreneurs, but, really, I help people that wanna change their freaking And I, actually, I do have a course called unapologetically bold, where you don't have to be an entrepreneur. So I'm still working on how to describe what I do. I help women be free. I do only work with school. I help women be free and bold, and part of being free is being bold. Yeah.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:09:59]:
So -- Okay. I saw on your on your Instagram, it said you help people become the person who dreams bigger than they ever dreamed.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:10:09]:
Yes. And that has been how I've accomplished what I've accomplished in the past couple of years. I, you you know, if your audience doesn't know, but I quit my job as an accountant. So I have, like, this traditional job as an accountant. My last job, I was there for 16 years, and I was bored out of my mind, like, Ward Behel. and I'm a naturally creative person. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist and a writer and was told I couldn't do that, that I should do people's hair. Like, literally, my guidance counselor tried to make me go to vocational school to do people's hair. No. Nothing wrong with that, but that was not me at all. I'm I wanted to be an artist. So It's kinda interesting how all these things are fused into my personality. and really the core of who I am at my core. I am a artist, a creative innovator, and who's been pigeonholed. So I bring the creativity to business.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:11:16]:
I love this. Yeah. It reminds me of how the other day I found in my parent, at my parents house, something that I had written when I was, like, fourteen years old, and it said, I love theater and cinema, and I love the right, and I love to act, and I'm really good at it. With lots of exclamation marks. But then we kind of lose that childlike wonder and that connection to our poor, don't we, and get pigeonholed, like you said? Totally. Well,
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:11:49]:
I I'm working a lot with my clients on undoing, like, unlearning the things that they believe about themselves because, unfortunately, most of the things that we think we're capable of doing, we're not capable. Most of us think we're not capable of doing most things, right, but That was socialized into us. It's not true. Pretty much, I believe, you could do what you put your mind to. Now there's some there's a few things, you know, you might not be able to, but, believe basketball for your five foot or something. I don't know. You know, he might not be a great singer. Like, I love to sing. I don't have a great voice, but I love sing. So I'm gonna sing whether people like it or not. Right? But I believe we can find joy in whatever it is, whatever the hell we want to do. And we don't need other people to tell us. This this's the other thing too. We've been graded on things all our life. So we try to show up as perfect so we can get an a, which was the queen of fact, because we want people to believe we're smart because If you have a's, then you go to the best schools, then you get the best jobs, and you make the most money. And none of that is true. Yep. The a students don't typically make the most money.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:13:12]:
Yeah. That's so true. So many of the most successful entrepreneurs, they had, like, their season school. My my dad had a really successful business my whole life and he was a he was the worst student. He hated going to school. He was a rebel.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:13:28]:
Yeah. Look look at a lot of the big entrepreneur business, large businesses. A lot of those people didn't go to college or they quit college. So we've been fed all of these lives, really. I believe it's to keep us small, and it's not like one person. It's It's in the systems.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:13:50]:
It's the whole narrative.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:13:51]:
Oh, yes. Yes. And we don't wanna stiff out side of the masses, the herd mentality, because it doesn't feel safe. Right? But I'm about making it a safe place a safe spot to step outside of that programming and not follow the herd. And in some ways, I've always been this way, but I wasn't vocal about it. Like, in my mind, I definitely thought this way, but I still was afraid to vocalize it. now I'm like, look, you don't have to lose. Like, have nothing to lose. So really during the but a little, before the pandemic and through the pandemic, I've been really unfolding. I say blooming like a flower.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:14:40]:
Tell us more about it because I know the story, but I want my listeners to hear more about that big shift. I mean, you you could change your whole life around. And I have I had clients who were 25 26, twenty seven years old, they they were telling me it's too late to change my mind.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:14:58]:
And there you are all the way into your sixties and Tell tell us about what you did. Well, one thing I thought about this morning is interesting. I've done this more than once, and and everybody listening has changed their life. people just believe after college or after your tw early twenties, it's too late, which I don't even know why they believe that. But I got divorced at 50 and had one type of life. That's really when I got that accounting position because it was stable, and the salary was good. And I have a daughter, and I needed to be able to take care of her. But then to turn around and quit that job, 16 years later and start all over again at 66? That's pretty big. and I'm not gonna say I wasn't afraid, but I worked through those fears and I got certified as a coach. I got certified during the pandemic, so I was still working my job during the pandemic and got certified during the pandemic, started getting clients, I had been miserable for probably 14 of the 16 years, and kinda like the straw of the book cameras back was that my manager came to me, when we started coming back part time into the office after a pandemic, She just came up to me and said, I'm changing your hours. After 16 years, she decides to change my hours without discussing it with me. and her and I had worked together 15 up to 16 years. And I'm like, okay. And she told me I worked for a law firm, and they all everybody else worked 9 to 5:30. But when I started there, my daughter was at a private school with no buses or anything. So I had to pick her up. So they allowed me to work earlier hours. And it no. They didn't care. I mean, nobody cared because the work that I did was independent, like, I wasn't a second time. paralegal. So I really worked very independently. But all of a sudden, at the clear blue status, she decided she's changing my hours tomorrow to 5:30. Well, I, you know, I'm in the US. I work in Washington, DC, but I live in Maryland. Some days, that could be a hour, hour a half commute each way. So when she told me that I'm saying to myself, you've got to be kidding me. That means I will get on to was to 7 PM. And I had clients then, and I was starting with my clients at 4 PM. So when she said that, and then she said it Friday, late in the day, when I was leaving, and she was getting ready to go on vacation. So I had a whole week after that. And I just say spirit, my divine knowing, whatever it is. I I just kept putting my hands up and saying, it's them or me.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:17:55]:
Oh, giving the chivers?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:17:58]:
Yes. It's them or me. And I could there was, like, nothing in me that could have chosen that job over myself. I just couldn't. I was in the midst of changing my life, like, building my business and changing my life. And to me, it was just a a huge journey. I did not have a lot of money in the bank. I did not, you know, like, financially, I was I was bringing on clients, but I don't know if you know this, but what I did was I refinanced my mortgage and took some cash out of my house, out of the equity in my house. Oh, no. I didn't know that. Yeah. I mean, I've talked about, but I haven't talked that much about it to get it because I'm I'm single. I'm divorced. My daughter and my grandson live with me, and I just felt like that would buy me some time. And I quit the job, and Can you believe my manager cried when I resigned? Because I believe we have been working to get for so long, and she just thought we would retire together.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:19:04]:
It's so crazy. Wow. That's and I have so many that come to mind, but, like, one of the first one is what you said about re mortgaging your house is important because many people think that they're stuck but actually when you really look at it, there are possibilities when you wanna make a shift. Yes.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:19:23]:
People people Read read more, you know, read whatever I'm trying to think of the word now. Read mortgage or get a new mortgage or whatever. Take the equity out of the house. to put their kids through college. Right? They do it to upgrade their kitchen. My kitchen needs to be upgraded, but you know what? I'd rather stick with my old kitchen and be free.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:19:47]:
Yeah. People are are hesitant when it comes to them to bet betting on themselves.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:19:52]:
Yes. Yes. But I decided to bet on myself. And one thing that was kinda eye opening that was said to me that would probably I know would help your listeners. And that is, what if your business was your well, in the States, it's a 401k, but your retirement plan. What if your business was your retirement plan? Like, I'm 67, but my my mind is sharpened than most young people. and physically I'm in good shape. So I'm not gonna just retire and sit somewhere and die.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:20:27]:
Mhmm.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:20:28]:
I'm I'm this is really for all the people that think that they have no other options. You have lots of options. You just you just didn't know you had lots of options. Yeah. It was off to the option. but I opened my mind to the options, because I thought the same thing that I didn't have any options until I started really getting coached and looking or solutions.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:20:54]:
That's the thing. because when you're in in, like, a panic mode, you're you have tunnel vision, and you just see all all the issues, all all the impossibilities. But then when you calm down and you start reconnecting with how resourceful you are. You start seeing what you can do, what you can work with, who you can speak to.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:21:16]:
Yeah. And the thing that that really my intention was that every time I had, like, an emergency situation, I would figure it out. So I'm like, We're not only figuring out emergencies. Like, why can't I figure things out when everything's going great? And most people do that. They have an emergency, an urgent situation. Their back is up against the wall. Even even I spoke to one woman that was, like, I had to put my kids through college, well, you didn't have to. You didn't have to. There are plenty of people, but she found a way to put her kids through college. Mhmm.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:21:54]:
I believe she had to. That's so good. Yeah. Now let me ask you this. What you were saying about your manager coming to you with the with the change of hours makes me think of the formula for change. I don't know if heard about it. It's, it says, amongst other things that in order for you to make a change, that this satisfaction in your life has to be higher than your resistance. So thanks to your manager, that this satisfaction became higher than your resistance. But what if she never came in? What about the people right now who are listening to us that they're just comfortable in their job, and there's not a manager coming at them with bad news that are going to kick them in the butt?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:22:39]:
Well, the thing the thing that I didn't say is that I have I have written my resignation letter a few months before that, and I my family talked me out a bit. because people, my friends and family are like, you're gonna leave that good job. You make good money, and it's not that hard. And, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Okay. And so I listened to them, and I didn't leave the job. So, yes, that mud pushed me out the door, but I would say don't let it get to that point. When your escape, like, in hindsight, when you're escaping advance, even if you're not ready to escape, I call it a spot. I think of it as escaping. So I think of it as being at a prison cell. Like, I I had my own office, right, and it was a box. And I for years, I had a window, then they moved me to a office with no one. I was like, oh, they really put me in prison now. Good lord. Right? I'm really in prison. So if you think about that cubicle, that office, that whatever, as as a box that you're in, and you want to escape, start figuring out your escape plan. You don't have to act on it immediately, but you will feel so much more cure when you know that you have a plan. You won't feel like you have no option. Most people never plan So they just keep going with that foot until the front of their mind. I have no options. I have no option. Well, what if what we all had an escape plan?
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:24:19]:
Yeah. You know what I call this with my clients? What's it? The disruption playground. Let's just play. Let's just play, like, disrupt your life. Like, like, what would it look like? What would you do? What would step number 1 the step number 2. That's what I did when I was considering my separation. just let's just pretend you were to break up. What would it look like? And you move through the steps, and then it helps you realize, oh, okay. It might actually be more doable than my primitive brain was making me believe.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:24:50]:
totally. And it is more doable. It is more doable than people like society, There's still with all these messages. If if society was saying entrepreneurship is what you should do after high school, and not and they didn't and not college, everybody would be entrepreneurs. Right? The only reason why everybody believes they have to go to college is because society says you have to go to college. in order to be successful. Hold on. How did it it was flipped, which I believe it is flipping because college doesn't make you successful. It definitely does not make you successful. I mean, I I have a college degree. I It's probably when I went to college, it I mean, it definitely opened some doors, but now the way the economy is and the way society is, Having an
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:25:45]:
option. It's it's an it's an option, but maybe we don't need to see it as the option. The
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:25:53]:
And for me, I mean, this is my opinion. You know, nobody else has to agree with me, but I've lived it and seen it. If you're gonna if you wanna be a doctor or an attorney or, like, something where you have to be licensed or whatever the thing is. Yes. And maybe some people might wanna go to school to have some time to mature, but work during that time, because nothing is gonna give you the experience of working and especially entrepreneurship. Because even if you had a little side business, It gives you so much confidence that collecting a paycheck you will never have. Because when you know how to make money, You're not afraid of losing your job. So it's not the job. That's the problem. It's the fact that you think you can't make money without a job, that's the problem.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:26:48]:
You know what? There's something you wrote on Instagram, a quote that I noted down, and I love this. You said, I believe that every woman should know how to make money without a job.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:27:00]:
Yeah. I do.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:27:02]:
Yeah. That is a bold statement, and I love it. Tell like, keep telling you more about why you think that.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:27:08]:
Well, the police started with myself and the fact that I was a traditional wife, you know, I stayed home for a while, and I've worked, and I had to and avoiding or not working. I never felt my perfect I have air quotes. Perfect marriage would break up after 20 years. So I wasn't even thinking about being responsible for taking care of myself. Like, you know, I know how to take care of myself, but financially taking care of myself. And it wasn't till my marriage broke up, but I was like, oh, hell. Like, I used to know how to make money, but, like, I still do kind of. And I say I have a hustler mentality because I grew up pretty poor, so it was like, You had to make things work. It was like, no option. You couldn't just, like, sit back and wait for something to fall on your lap. And, Like, when I left my ex husband, I had just had a brain tumor 6 months before there, and I left. Like, he it was infidelity on his part. I decided to leave, and I got a I didn't even have a job because I had had the brain tumor, so couldn't drive. I couldn't do it really much of anything. And finally, I got permission to drive. I was on, anti seizure medication, so I couldn't drive. I got a job. I borrowed some money from my father for the 1st 1st month, rent and down payment. and moved. And when my house sold, I got proceeds from the house, so I paid my father back. And I started with that. So that really taught me, like, expect the unexpected. Or even if you're married, your husband could die. Right? He he he could decide he had enough and walk away. Like, there's so many different circumstances that could happen, and I've talked to a lot of women that have been in similar circumstances. And all of a sudden, it's like, dang. I was dependent on my husband to be the breadwinner.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:29:15]:
Yes. And you know what's also I was gonna say even worse, but it let's not put them on a scale. So many women stay in situations they don't wanna be in because they're dependent on their husband financially.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:29:27]:
And I I could've done that, but to me, It was almost like that moment of the job saying, you know, either you work these different hours, or else. You know, it was kinda like that. Like, with my marriage, I felt like it's like, you live here, you live, stay with him and be disrespected, which I'm disrespecting myself, or I jump, I jump shit, and take the chance. And and I survived. So I I just believe, even if you never have to make money, like, on your own, but so many people lose their jobs. So many people retire and run out of money. I mean, there's so many situations where we think we're good, and we're not. Right? But you know how to make money. You don't lose sleep over there. You don't feel like you have no options. You know, like, even when I was younger, I used to sit back in the day, if I could type, I can always find a job. which that was true back then because I could type really fast. And, you know, we're based to give you time typing tests. And then when I started doing accounting, I was like, everybody needs an account with a bookkeeper or something. So I can go back to work, whatever. And that's what I feel like now. If it's if it's not working or want some extra money, whatever, get a part time job, whatever. but I have skills and I know how to make money. And I'm always and now, you know, I have coaching, but I run my business. I run multiple other businesses before. So that's how I prefer to make my money is helping people run their business and teaching them how to launch it. but I believe that women should know how to make money.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:31:17]:
And -- And how do they get if if that they're listening to us and they're thinking, yeah. I agree, but where'd you get how'd you get started?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:31:25]:
Play like you were talking about. and that's what I did. Like, I have played with so many different ways of making money. So you can play with those ways of making money and still have a job. I I made jewelry, Then I then I got certified as a personal trainer and started working with my coach that I had back then. And then I love to bake, and him and I started catering business on the side. So I, like, I just Like, whatever I already know how to do, I say monetize what you already know how to do. Yeah. One of my clients is in education. and work my past clients, and she started a podcast for fun. But then she's like, I really wanna, like, start a real business. Now she does podcast management. She liked podcasts anyway. It's not none of it is really hard. It really is not. You just haven't learned the steps. You know? But once you learn the steps and start testing them, it it it works. So even if you like, to me, it's not a small feat to bake cakes. Like, what I used to make was, like, vegan, banana bread, zucchini bread, like, all these different bread, dessert kind of things that were vegan. Nobody had to teach me how to do that. I already knew how to cook and how to bake. I just learned how to make a vegan. Like, okay. That's not hard. Yeah. ourselves, we can't do it. And literally, I did not know how to do it. I went to, like, they have, like, these supply stores where you can buy things for bakery. I bought these aluminum pants, and I bought the little sleeves of the plastic sleeves you put it in, and the little ties It's all there. It's like, Google it. Like, I I know the guy that made cheesecake. and he just started making cheesecake.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:33:31]:
Did you mean cheesecake Factory?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:33:34]:
No. No. No. Not no. I don't know. Goes that person. This is somebody Oh, started making cheesecake. No. Just a regular, like, New York style cheesecake, and people would taste it. and they loved it. And then people kept asking him for more and more and more. So a lot of times, people think of business has to be this multi $1,000,000 thing, and people don't want the responsibility. But what if it made you
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:34:02]:
200,000? 300,000.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:34:06]:
Wouldn't you be happy with that?
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:34:08]:
Even you know what, Gail? People told me, like, they would be happy with an extra 5000 in a year. Well, that's -- What if I mean, it's easy. It's easy. Go easy. But the the yeah. That's the thing. If we have an all or nothing mentality, that's what that's the problem that I see. People think, oh, well, if I'm gonna have a business, I need to quit my job and have this great idea. Now when you're just playing on the side, what if just playing on the side leads to an extra 5000. And then the year after that, it leads to an extra 50,000. We know you and I know so many people who have a job, full time job, or hard time 1, and they make, like, an extra, few thousands, lots of thousands on the side doing something that they love. that it was it's just okay. What are you good at? What do you love to do that's all that's useful to people? That's gonna add value to people. That's it. totally. Now with me, it was interesting because when the month before I decided,
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:35:13]:
well, the month before I put in my rent No. I didn't put my reservation in, but I wrote it. I had still working full time, made $23,000 in a month. Oh, damn. What you're coaching? Yes. Yeah. And and I want people to know, last year was my 1st full year in business, and I made close to 300 I made $295,000.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:35:43]:
And, can you tell us what's the most you had made before?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:35:47]:
Before that, the most I made was a 105.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:35:50]:
As an employee?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:35:52]:
Yes. Yes. So -- So I tripped almost tripled my salary from the year before.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:36:01]:
Let's have a minute of silence for that. Just kidding. But, yeah, I think, yeah, people have, like, a vision of the salary they're making is just gonna go up a little bit for the rest of their life until they retire. That's not how it has to be. Right. And I thought that too, because when I started that job, 16 years before that, I was making 55,000
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:36:25]:
And so it did go up more than a little bit. So that was really good because they gave really good, raises. So I went from 55,000 to a 105,016 years. But I went from a 105,000 to 290
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:36:41]:
What year? In 1 year. Wow. Yeah. You know, my, my dad told me he they spent their thirties fucking around trying things. And it and then, oh, he he said, in our forties, we started a little bit of money. And then in our fifties, making a lot a lot of it, it doesn't have to be this line, this, like yeah.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:37:08]:
everybody's not gonna be, you know, this YouTube star in the 20th screen. There's a lot to be said for living life gaining wisdom and experience, and then deciding how you wanna live your life. And it doesn't have to be according to the way everybody else is really fair with.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:37:29]:
That's such an important question. How do you wanna live your life? If you don't look at the limited options on the menu that you've been given. you and I are 2 single ladies, aren't we?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:37:41]:
Yes.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:37:42]:
I was talking with someone I was dating recently, and they asked me, uh-uh, what does a work week in your life look like? So I started telling them about the kind of schedule that I have, and they look at me kind of puzzled. And they said they said, wow. the way you're, like, you live your life is very cool. It's kind of like you're creating your own thing. forget. I forget Gail now, though.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:38:12]:
Yes. Yes. That's true. You know what I find? I find that some people apologize to me for still having a job. Like I say, Oh, you're so lucky. I I haven't, like, found the courage to quit my job yet. And I'm like, I'm not judging anybody at all. Whatever works for you works for you, but for me, literally this morning, I'm I'm getting ready to do a challenge, a free challenge, in my community called My Body My Business. And I didn't say that I'm a health coach too, which That was, like, another iteration of my life. I got certified as a health coach. And a vegan lifestyle coach, I got that certification too. So I a lot of things. But, so so for 21 days, I'm taking them on this journey of taking care of their bodies so they show better in their lives. That's really what it means. You don't have to have a business, but it's your body is your business. Your business is your body. it all you can't have one without the other. You can't it'd be effective on your job in your life without taking care of your, your body. And this morning, I was like thinking, how can I challenge myself? Because, you know, I'm doing this challenge with them, but how can I challenge myself? And I'm always thinking about ways to take things to another level. So what are the things that I decided, and I've been doing this a little bit is every single day of the 21 days. I'm going to a park, a trail, a a body of water, something outdoors, and I am going to limit my calendar. And, and, actually, my business has been pretty slow this year. So I have a lot of time, and I'm like, I'm going to be outside. I'm go that is my that's where I'd love to be, and I know it will take me to another level. So Everything doesn't have to look the same for everybody. We have to make our we have to play and find our own way. You know, some people might love the city, which I love the city too. Actually, I I live about, 4 hours from New York. And I was thinking, maybe I'll get on the train to go to New York one day. Like, well, I'll get on the train. It's probably 2 a half hours. Why do I have to do the same thing every day? Why do I have to because I found myself walking my like, making the 300 came at a price. Great. I worked all the time. And this year, I had to really reevaluate because I got burned out. So I'm proud of myself that I did that. Yeah. I'm proud of myself that I did that, but I don't wanna make it I don't wanna make that amount of money the way I made it in the past. And so now I'm exploring a different way to make money. with more ease and more freedom.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:41:19]:
Mhmm. You need something different in this season.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:41:24]:
totally, totally. So now I'm playing with that. So I love that you teach your people to do that because how else are we gonna know whether it's scores or not unless they play anything.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:41:35]:
Yeah. And I my client and my my listeners also know, my, faithful listeners if they've listened that. I also hit a wall in the last year, and I had to reevaluate. Okay. How what do I want now? what what's what's the next chapter? and I'm curious to ask for for them, for my listeners who might have a full time job, how do you start regaining some of your freedom when you've got these obligations? So you and I are talking. We have our own business So we have more wiggle room to choose, but what if you've gotta show up to work? How do you start creating that yourself.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:42:17]:
I did this the past before COVID when I was at my job because this dissatisfaction is going on for a long time. So I mentioned that I used to catch a commuter bus into the city. So what I started doing is catching an earlier bus. and walking around the city. And work, I I lit I mean, I worked a couple of blocks from the White House and the National Mall and everything, So 5 days a week, I would get off the bus at a earlier stop and explore the city. And I I can't even tell you why, but I enjoyed walking down Pennsylvania Avenue and seeing the white house and seeing the surrounding the monuments and all of those things. So I did that every morning. You know, here and there, I might have skipped I was a feeling good or whatever, but 99% of the time, I got off the bus early and walked the city. I love that. And what did that bring for you? Yeah. It it brought a level of peace before I went indoors, and I felt like I'm taking time for me. The other thing I did too, and this was something that I know exceptions I went out at lunchtime every single day. Even if I only walked around, it was a big city block, but even if I only walked a block. The only time I didn't go out if this was, like, pouring down rain or ice. I went out every day. I made sure that I got in the sun, shine, got some fresh air every day. Because it's too easy to get locked in to the job, Right? And then you just lose more and more of yourself. So I made a promise to myself that I was going to the outdoors. I was gonna and so me doing this now, is it unusual for me? The only thing that's unusual is I'm gonna for new places where maybe I haven't been before, but, you know, been there.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:44:24]:
But -- Now what's the belief And we're gonna leave our list my listeners with that. What's the belief that allowed you to give yourself that gift.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:44:40]:
Oh, that's such a good question because
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:44:43]:
Because so many people hear that and they say, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know I should do this. And then they don't take care of themselves. So what's the belief that made you actually do it?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:44:54]:
I think the belief is almost like I have to.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:44:59]:
Otherwise, what?
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:45:01]:
Otherwise, I'll lose my mind and lose myself. Literally, I will lose myself if if I don't do this. Even during COVID, my my daughter had my grandson right before COVID. I used to take him in the in the in the buggy this stroller, parrot, whatever, almost every day for a walk. I got out of the house. I got outside. Like, I believe for my sanity and peace of mind, I have to do it. I I'd tell myself I have to do it because when I don't do it, I feel like crap.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:45:44]:
Mhmm.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:45:45]:
I'll start to lose myself. And your listeners, probably a lot of them have already lost themselves. But the way to start finding yourself is to go for a walk. It can be that simple. I'm not I'm not, like, exaggerating at all. It can be that simple. go for a walk, but without your phone, like, don't talk to people on the phone. Like, when I see people doing that drives me crazy, Don't walk. Don't go out for a walk and be on your phone. Be with yourself. You. listen to your thoughts that are coming up. Good, better, indifferent. Like, acknowledge what's coming up for you. because once you start walking or get outside, you have that space. because a lot of times, people tell me, I don't know what I'm thinking. You don't know because you haven't paid attention.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:46:40]:
Yeah. And what when when you make space, What matters comes up to the surface? The answers start getting clearer. The whisper starts getting louder.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:46:51]:
Totally. And, oh, this is the other thing too. If there's something you're curious about, just pose the question to yourself before you're off. Don't try to find the answer. Just say I wonder if I were to leave my job in a year or I were to make more money. I work on how I could do that. Don't research it. Don't talk to other people about it. Just live with the question.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:47:21]:
Fuck. Yes.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:47:23]:
Just live with the question because the answer always comes.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:47:28]:
Hang out with the question. Let it come.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:47:31]:
It always comes. The other part to that though is when it comes, you better believe it. What happens is because the answer, and it's like, oh, no. I can't do that. No. No. No.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:47:46]:
No. Not me. Or -- Yeah. Well, it's gonna come a first time. You're probably gonna ignore it. It's gonna come a second time, third time, 4th time. And eventually, it's gonna be like a slap in the face.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:47:58]:
Like like I got when my manager said -- Exactly.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:48:03]:
The the earlier you listen, the less it's going to hurt.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:48:07]:
Oh, that's the dark. Yeah.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:48:11]:
On those words of wisdom, please gail tell our listeners where they can find you.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:48:17]:
You can find me on instagram at Gail Keys Allen. that's where I mostly hang out. And, yeah, say hi. like, come into my dance and say hi and tell me how you enjoyed the conversation because we could have gone way deeper Oh, yeah. For sure.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:48:36]:
I had so many questions that I didn't ask. Yeah. Do like just do like me and reach out to Gail and tell her what insight you got from our conversation. yeah, we're all just a bunch of humans who like to talk and go deep. I love it. Thank you so much, Gail, for being here today.
Gail Keyes-Allen [00:48:53]:
Thank you for the invitation. It's my pleasure.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:49:00]:
By nerds. Have a beautiful week.
Marie-Pier Tremblay [00:49:07]:
If you love what you're hearing on the Self-Growth Nerd's podcast, and you want individual help finding a new direction for your life and developing the courage to make your dreams a reality You have the check out how we can work together on selfgrowthnerds.com, or message me on Instagram at selfgrowthnerds. My clients say they would have needed that support years ago. So if you're tired of feeling like you're wasting your life, Don't wait. Get in touch now, and I cannot wait to meet you.