Embody Your Energy

57. The Chronicles Of Hope with Annie Bennett

• Charlotte Carter

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My guest this week is Annie Bennett. Annie was diagnosed with incurable cancer in July 2024. In the weeks following her diagnosis she started a blog, The Annie Bennett Chronicles and a podcast, The Chronicles Of Hope.

Annie has also been busy setting up a charitable organisation, The Chronicles of Hope, which aims to support young adults who have a parent diagnosed with a life limiting illness.

Annie lives in East Sussex, and has two daughters, Heather 24 and Elfie 21, who are the inspiration for her charitable vision.

We also discuss Annie's transition from a 30-year career as a teacher to become a successful baking entrepreneur. Annie opens up about the fears and uncertainties she faced when leaving a stable career, especially during a pandemic, and how she found the courage to pivot her business into the Home Baking Business Academy.

Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and the unwavering belief that failure is not an option.

CONNECT WITH ANNIE

Website: thechroniclesofhope.org

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thechroniclesofhope2024
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chroniclesofhope
TikTik: www.tiktok.com/@thechroniclesofhope

Annie's book recommendation: Mindset by Carol Dweck

CONNECT WITH CHARLOTTE

Website: https://www.idaretoleap.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcharlottecarter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idaretoleap

7 Day Experience (starting 6th January 2025): https://idaretoleap.com/lp/activate-and-claim-your-path-to-success-for-2025

ULTRA (Charlotte's signature programme): https://idaretoleap.com/services/ultra

Interested in working with Charlotte? Schedule your free no-obligation call here:
https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/charlottescalendar

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Becoming Fearless, the personal growth podcast for you if you are ready to overcome fear and step into your greatness. Our purpose is to help you overcome your limits, have loads of fun along the way, unlocking your fullest potential in life, business, health and relationships every single day. I'm your host, charlotte Carter, a high performance coach and entrepreneur with over 20 years experience. I'm your host, charlotte Carter, a high-performance coach and entrepreneur with over 20 years experience. I've supported many highly driven, talented people like you who dream big and are ready to take action to overcome what's holding them back. Each week, my guests and I will be sharing hacks and habits on how to build self-belief, courage and confidence, to master your mindset and navigate your emotions so that you can reach your human potential in a way that feels light, fun and easeful and helps you become fearless.

Speaker 1:

Let's go Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of Becoming Fearless. I am delighted to bring this guest episode to your ears. It is with somebody who's absolutely phenomenal on multi, multi levels, but the first time I met this lady, um well, I think a number of times we have had quite a good time, um, a lot of laughs and a lot of fun, and it's it's just been like a joyous connection from the moment that we connected. So I had to bring Annie on to share her journey, her view of life and how she is becoming fearless day by day by day, so that you can hear somebody else's very different perspective. So, annie, let people know a little bit about who you are and what you do.

Speaker 2:

Hello Charlotte. Oh, it's so lovely to be here. Yeah, it's lovely. Who am I? I'm Annie Bennett.

Speaker 2:

My story is sort of long and convoluted, really. It's got so many parts to it and this year it changed quite dramatically. But I was 30 years, a primary teacher and in the end I was a head teacher as well. That ended not brilliantly, but you know that's all I need to say about that, really and that it was at that point that I then set up my baking business Leading Lady Cakes so named because I'm also a trained soprano and I sing. So I set up my baking business doing some supply teaching as well along the way to, you know, while the business was building.

Speaker 2:

And then in 2020, you know, we know what happened in 2020, all my wedding income went and so I had to pivot. So that's when I set up what's now called the Home Baking Business Academy and I teach bakers how to set up and run a business from home, and that is getting quite successful. Now I've got quite a few bakers in my free Facebook group. I've got a membership that's building, and so on and so forth. So it was all going along quite nicely until April this year, when the story dramatically changes. Um, so let's just hold you there. Let's just hold you there before we go.

Speaker 1:

Before we go into the story, let's just um, because we will talk about the story. It's a big part of um, you know, sharing your mission for certain. So let's go back to you being a teacher and like you in that role, because you had that role for 30 years. There's a lot of people that are my listeners, annie, that have been in something for like decades and just think you know what I've got to change this. It's just not lighting me up, it's just not feeding my soul, it's just something. But it's what I've always done, type of feeling. What do you think? I know you said, you know it changed in a different way. But what do you think you, maybe, 25 years in or whatever, when you started to realize that it wasn't necessarily what you wanted to do, what fears do you think came up for you in that space that allowed you to just jump?

Speaker 2:

Oh goodness, it's a very difficult one when you're in a job or a career that brings in a regular income, and you've got a mortgage, you've got children, you've got all the responsibilities. And I know I see lots of teachers now saying I want to leave, but I don't know if I can financially. And that was the big one. I was around that time getting divorced as well, so I was becoming a single parent lots of implications like that. But it really was a case of if I don't do it now, it's going to become more difficult to do it in the future. And there is an element of well, I'll do it and I won't let it fail.

Speaker 2:

It's a non-negotiable, it's not oh, what if this and what if that? None of that, no, it's got to succeed. No, it's got to succeed. And part of my sort of the way I am is you know if things go wrong or there's mistakes or whatever, you learn from them and you move on. You move around the barrier that's been put up, either by you or by anything or anyone else, and you work out how to get around it. So it really was a case of of, okay, I've got to do it. Um, I didn't make a clean break because I did the supply and I did sort of filling in and temporary things, um, but it was, that was a means to the end, that was a means to.

Speaker 1:

I want to be full-time with my baking and I think and I think that's important for people, isn't it? It's like for some people like me, uh, it's a full-on leap. Let's just leap ahead first, without any safety net, let's just go all in. Yeah, for some people it is that phased. Actually, this is and a couple of my clients are in this space this feels good. This is like my halfway gap, halfway step to where I'm going, to this being full-time and it.

Speaker 1:

There's no judgment and there's no right or wrong. You've got to do what feels right for you, but definitely, if you're listening and you've got some inkling that what you're doing isn't the right path, keep listening, for certain, because you realize that, yeah, please make the choice that feels great for you, but also understand that nobody else is in your shoes. Nobody else will follow the path. People have their own guidance, but really you're your biggest guide. So let's then talk about this. Uh, when it first came out, but it was leading leading lady cakes. I love that. I didn't know that about you. The old soprano bit, did you know? I've got my throat going. Um, let's, let's talk about the leading legs. Talk, talk people through about, like, like the first time you started all that and I know today's a pivotal day because you're baking your last cake, so this is interesting times.

Speaker 2:

I am talk about the beginning of that where you were well, um, I was, um, I was a head teacher at the time and things had gone a little bit awry. I wasn't very well, I was, my marriage was breaking up, all those kind of things were put together, um, and so I ended up very long story short, I ended up leaving head teaching quite suddenly. Um, but I had some time to sort of recuperate a little bit, cause it was an awful, awful time, um, and I remember sitting in my living room thinking what should I do? I could you know there's a few things I could do, cause I have a few skills in different areas, but I'd love to run a business. That's what I'd really love to do. But what? Um? And I've always loved baking. Um, you know, I bake things. I used to bake things for staff and take them in, and you know I'm always baking and feeding people, um, so I thought, oh, that would be really lovely to set up a baking business. And wouldn't it be lovely to make wedding cakes? That would be just fabulous. I would love that.

Speaker 2:

But at that time I didn't know how to do that. I'd never made one. So it was a case of okay, well, I know how to bake, but I've got to learn all the other things. So when I started my business, I was baking for markets. I was doing lots of farmers markets, which I absolutely loved. They're wonderful, wonderful places, um, and so you know I'd I'd be supply teaching generally through the day, baking in the evening and then spending weekends at the markets. So it was full-on. It was really quite full-on, but because I had a, an ending goal, that's where my energy came from. My, you know, my this is. This is changing things. So that's where my energy came from. Um, so I did that for quite a while and then I went on courses and I invested time and money learning how to create wedding cakes, how to make sugar flowers, how to, you know, do royal icing and piping and all those kind of things.

Speaker 1:

And so now, when did you say how long have you, how long have you been doing the cakes before you thought, okay, now I'm going to start teaching people this well, the the wedding cake sort of started kicking in.

Speaker 2:

The wedding cake sort of started kicking in around sort of 2019, 18, 19. So I was really I'd sort of trained myself by then, was, you know, putting out the marketing and all that, going to wedding fairs, things like that and getting interest and getting customers. But it was at the beginning of 2020. I'd had quite a few weddings booked in for 2020. And then, of course, lockdown came and they were all postponed. Some of them were cancelled completely, some of them were just postponed.

Speaker 2:

So in the space of that 15 minute speech at the end of March by the then Prime Minister, I'd lost all my income because my supply teaching had gone as well.

Speaker 2:

So I I describe it somewhere as I allowed myself an hour to panic and then I thought, well, panicking's a waste of energy, there's no point in panicking. I've got to get a plan together here and luckily, at the time I was in a it was an online group for wedding industry suppliers and they very quickly they were really, you know, on the ball. They put out some day conferences and brought in people like lawyers and and things to talk to the suppliers about what to do, about refunds or you know all those kind of things, and amongst amongst those people was a lady that we know very well, lisa Johnson, and she was talking about passive income, about using what you know to make money online, which is her big thing, and I listened to this. I thought, oh, that sounds interesting, that sounds just what I need. So, yeah, that's what I did. I did her course, I set up my Facebook group, I followed her. You know her teaching um, and here I am four years later with it all making me a fair bit of money.

Speaker 1:

So it's good, yeah, and super grateful for that opportunity to learn all of that, and the timing was just perfect yeah, so it was let's look at uh, what, what fears came up as you were building that.

Speaker 1:

I mean, you're pretty resilient, we know that, but, um, what, what fears came up? Were you like? Did you feel like you had to be a bit braver, bolder, courage? What do you think you harnessed by setting up this online business that will ultimately help you with where you are now? What do you think you grew with email to me?

Speaker 2:

it was. I remember, um, when she'd she had her open cart selling the course that she was selling, um, and I think it closed on the Monday and on the Sunday evening I was sitting there thinking shall I do it? Because I just got a tax rebate for one reason or another, which was enough money to buy the course and I thought do I do it? Do I do it? I sat there for quite a long time and you know, read about people that had done the course previously and all sorts, and I thought this is a golden opportunity.

Speaker 2:

Annie, you know, if you don't do this, this you're going to be. What are you going to do? What's the alternative? And it was a case of you. You've got to make it work. It's not a case of what if I do it and fail? That's not an option, because I know people have done it and have succeeded, so I can do it and succeed. So it was just a case of right. Well, I've got to have the intention there, um. So, yeah, it was quite scary pressing that button to to sign up for it, knowing all that money was I was going, um, but I did have a real resolute yeah, this is right. This is this is going to work.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to do this and I think this is a thread that you must have had for your whole life, but definitely in the time that you and I have known each other this like very strong intentionality. So when you give yourself like a minute, an hour not very long in some people's eyes to make a decision, then the intentionality is backed and then we're going, and then we're going, and then we're rolling, and then we very quickly pick up speed. That's what I love about you. So let's, let's bring the listeners up to speed in what happened in April this year. Um, now that people know a bit the background and look at, know, like, where your plan was to keep scaling, um, you know the baking business. That's kind of like how life was mapping out for you, and then April throws you a bit of a curved ball.

Speaker 2:

It did it did? Um, yeah, april, middle of April, found a lump in my breast. So I went to see the doctor who said, oh yeah, that could be something. And lots of hospital appointments and scans and so on and so forth. Later, at the end of May, beginning of June, I was told I had grade two breast cancer. But at that point it was right, we're going to give you chemo, you're going to have surgery, radiotherapy, um, we'll, you know, refer you to the right place at the hospital and they'll contact you regarding the chemo and all that um, but in the meantime we need you to have just a couple more scans, just to make sure you know.

Speaker 2:

So I went to have the other scans and I was waiting patiently for the hospital to contact me to say, right, your chemo is starting here. But instead I got a call from my oncologist's secretary saying, oh, he needs to see you tomorrow. Come in tomorrow, because I'd had the scan the previous week. And I thought, ooh, ooh, this doesn't sound good. But you know, it is what it is. There's no point in panicking or worrying because that's a waste of energy. So I went along with my younger daughter because by that point I'd learned that you need to take people with you when you have hospital appointments for this kind of thing. It really, you know, doing it on your own is difficult, trying to take someone with you. And it was at that appointment on the 2nd of July, tuesday, the 2nd of July I'll never forget, he said unfortunately, the PET scanner showed that the cancer has moved to your bones and we can't cure it. It's incurable.

Speaker 2:

So it was at that point that the physical reaction of that was a couple of, probably just a couple of seconds, but it felt a little bit longer. You know the, the, the heart dropping, feeling cold, not being able to hear for a split second, the shock of it, you know. But it was my daughter that cried. I've only actually cried once since that, but I'll tell you about that later if you like. But I was very much okay, right, okay. And my daughter asked how long you know similar people in circumstances as yours years, we're talking years here. Um, so I thought, okay, now, that's, that's good.

Speaker 2:

If it, if he'd said weeks, I'd have panicked. Um, yeah, probably. I say probably panicked. But you don't know, do you, unless it actually happens? No, because if you'd asked me, if you'd asked me in January. What would you do if someone told you you had incurable cancer? I'd have probably said, oh, I'll weep and wail and do it. But I didn't at all Exactly. I was quite yeah, I was quite measured. I think I did say a very rude swear word, but I don't think you might.

Speaker 1:

Well, I think that's kind of acceptable.

Speaker 2:

I think most people, I think anybody delivering that kind of news to somebody.

Speaker 1:

I think most people would have a reaction of sorts yes, yes, uh, but I was.

Speaker 2:

I was really impressed with the oncologist. I mean, they're obviously trained to deliver this kind of news. You know, it's not an easy job in that respect. But he was straight down the line, no fluff, no faffing about, just telling me exactly how it was, for which I'm obviously very grateful. And he then went on to say OK, your treatment plan is now changed. You're not going to get chemo, you're not going to have surgery, you're not going to have radiotherapy. What we're going to do is put you on a cocktail of drugs, basically. What we're going to do is put you on a cocktail of drugs, basically, and eventually you'll get an injection. I can't remember the name of the drug, but it's an injection which strengthens the bones. But he said you're going to have to get dental work, check with your dentist to see if you need any dental work done first, because you can't have that treatment if you're needing dental work. Oh, it's all very complicated. So I said okay.

Speaker 2:

So I went off and found a dentist, which was one of the tasks that I had to do, but my daughters and I spent about three days just spending time together. There was a lot of silence, there was lots of staring into the middle distance and there was a lot of well, we did joke about it. You know I was like you know, get me a cup of tea, I've got cancer, kind of thing. You know, we did make a light of it because that's what we do as a family. You know we are like that as a family. But the one thing that I did do on that Tuesday evening we got home and we were all a bit polaxed, you know, my other daughter had joined us and I said to my daughters I don't think I can cope telling people this evening, but we need to tell people this evening, we need to tell family, I need to tell my close friends this evening. So what we decided to do was tell one person and delegate that person to tell others, which worked really well. So my daughter phoned my older brother and explained what was going on, and then he he then told the rest of the family and I'm. I contacted one of my best friends and said would you pass this on to everyone else? So that made life a little bit easier in terms of letting people know. Yeah, because you know my mum for one was like oh what? You know she'd have been. What happened at the doctor's? What happened at the doctor's? Because they all knew I was going and then suddenly to not say anything would have made it even worse. So I needed to obviously let them know. But it was, say, we spent about three days in shock, but by the sort of end of the third day.

Speaker 2:

The fourth day was when I started thinking, okay, I've got to do something with this. I've got a power here that I can use. You know, I'm in a position where I can influence people and do some good with the challenge that I've been given. So I started sort of making very draft plans in my head about the kinds of things going to speaking events and speaking about cancer awareness, things like that. And it was at that point that I then phoned our lovely friend Nick Rowley, being a PR expert and being a very good friend of mine, and I explained what was happening and she said, okay, yeah, first thing you've got to do is write a blog. Then we'll get a podcast up and running and those things will get your, you know, get the word out and get the awareness and um, get everything, you know, the ball rolling. So within a couple of days I've written my first blog and I've written quite a few of those.

Speaker 2:

Now, um, and the podcast was launched on the 11, thinking about, um, you know, fundraising. Originally, my thought was I could fundraise for a charity which charity, you know. So there was all that conversation going on. But as time went on, um, I sort of thought actually, well, perhaps I want to do my own, I want to leave a legacy. You know I want to. I want to create something that will, you know, live on. You know I fully intend to live for at least 10 years, because I'll be really cross if I don't. For at least 10 years, because I'll be really cross if I don't. But you know, eventually, when I'm no longer here, this, you know, this thing, will carry on in my name, and I love the thought of that.

Speaker 2:

And I started thinking about my two girls. They were 20 and 23 at the time. They had their birthdays in August, so they're a year older now. Now, but they were the ones that were coming to appointments with me. They were having to miss work to do things. They were sitting with me. You know when I was feeling, you know, um, yeah, that I needed someone around.

Speaker 2:

You know all those kind of, and it occurred to me that actually when I started looking into it, there aren't that many places where young adults can go for support. There are sort of general support places and lots of support for, you know, children whose parents have cancer which is you, which is brilliant, of course that must happen but nothing really for over 18 to 18, between 18 and about 25. And of course that's a really vulnerable age because they're just starting out in life. They might be starting their career, they might be at university, they're not. They don't quite understand how perhaps mortgages work or you know all that kind of stuff um, yeah, that they need a parent to to help and explain. So, um, what?

Speaker 2:

Where we've ended up now is I'm going to be setting up um it's actually going to be a cic rather than a charity um, although its aims will be very, very similar. But we are going to aim to support young adults, um, emotionally, perhaps with counseling, you know that kind of thing, and financially, when necessary, uh, particularly if that young adult perhaps is on universal credit and single parent, those kind of circumstances in particular. And we're also going to provide set up events for young adults, um, for young adults, whether they're in that situation or not, to come and, um, you know, be be together, um, so that you know people that are in that situation can have like-minded, you know friends and talk about their issues, that they have together, and that kind of thing. Um, and the other thing that we're going to do, that I just I thought about last weekend, actually, when we were together at the retreat. There was lovely Arif there who was talking about spas and spa days and I thought, wouldn't it be lovely to be able to provide experiences for these young adults and their parents, so that they've got a memory? So being able to send them all off for a spa day, wouldn't that be just lovely to have something to remember when their parent eventually dies? So we're in the process of thinking of lots of opportunities for that as well.

Speaker 2:

Um, and perhaps setting up you know how Oxfam, do you know, buy a goat for your loved one for Christmas. We're thinking in terms of, oh yeah, buy a, buy a spa day for someone for Christmas. So gifting days and experiences for people that otherwise won't get it. You know, I know it's lovely, isn't it? And my girls have been very instrumental of thinking up ideas, because obviously they're the age of the people that we're helping. And so I'm, you know, I'm 57, nearly 58 now, and I might think of ideas and they might go. No, mum, no, we don't want to do that yeah, because the best religion.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, their idea of fun might not be our idea of fun, but they're going to be fully involved in it brilliant.

Speaker 1:

Let's take a moment to just um, really allow the listeners to reflect on what you've said, because you and I can laugh and joke and that's the way that we, um, you know, we've always been like that, no matter what we're talking about. So it's just how we connect with each other and how you, your approach to life is. But some people may be listening to this and I know I have a lot of listeners that are like this, that are massively empathic and they might have tears running down their face and they may really feel very attached to your story and your journey and everything like that and I just want to say to those listeners that please follow Annie. All of the details will be underneath the podcast. So please go and listen to her podcast. It's called Chronicles of Hope. But also do take a lot of strength from Annie, because she is phenomenal, one of the strongest people I've ever ever met on so many levels. But I think it's really great to listen to people's story, no matter what they are, and realise that the story doesn't define the person.

Speaker 1:

Annie hasn't changed any of the ways that she is. She's always been somebody that gets a strong intention and then takes action. She's just navigating a different situation at the moment, which she could, in one guise, allow to take ownership of her. But she's taking ownership of herself and this is just a journey that she's been on. That may be two years, five years, ten years, who knows? But none of us know that. Anyway, it's just that Annie's in a place now where she can really share this wisdom, this, this perspective, and help these people that are of this age.

Speaker 1:

I've got children in this age bracket 18 to 25.

Speaker 1:

You think that young children are like a challenge and everything but 18 to 25, it's a different stage in life. It's like another growth growth stage definitely in terms of independence. And if you're in that place and you're also handling something happening to a parent where you're flawed on so many levels, but you're also trying to be a support, there's a lot of emotions going on and then, like annie says, there's a financial and everything like that. So, annie's mission, we want to get as many people behind it. So once you've um as you've listened and you've tuned in and you've um processed your own thoughts and emotions about what Annie's journey is, then please do an Annie let's just call it do an Annie and get on board. Get on board, get the intentions right and get yourself focused and let's like raise this CIC awareness for people who will really, really benefit when they are in a really emotional time in their life where they want to be the greatest support for their parent and they need to have some support around themselves too.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

So, yes, you are so welcome. Let's talk about the podcast and chronicles of hope, um, and let's talk about how that name came about. Let's talk about hope yes, do you know?

Speaker 2:

I was writing a blog on this just yesterday, so, and I was, I was thinking, why, why hope, why did that sort of it sort of floated to the top? It wasn't. I didn't sit down one day and think, right, what am I going to call it? It just sort of it was just there all the time. Um, and it, it sort of floated to the top of my thoughts and it's there. It was just there, the chronicles of hope, because my blog I'd started as the anabennock Chronicles. I love the word Chronicles. It makes it sound all sort of mysterious and epic and oldie worldie.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I do, it's, very.

Speaker 2:

Annie, it is a bit, isn't it A bit dramatic. Yes, so I took the Chronicles thing. I thought, yes, it's got to be Chronicles, but, yeah, the thought of hope just kept coming and it just seemed a really good fit to call it the Chronicles of Hope, because you know, as I've said a few times, if you haven't got hope, you're nowhere, are you. You know, you've got to have that glimmer of hope that things will be all right, that things will be all right in the end, that good things will happen, and so that that's sort of where we're going with it. You know, yes, come with us, we'll help you make good things happen, because we're all about the optimism, we're all about the positive.

Speaker 2:

Obviously, there's going to be times when things aren't so good, but I'm a real believer in getting the positive out of every situation, you know, however bad it is. So, yeah, so it just fitted really nicely the Chronicles of Hope and the podcast. I'll be talking about hope. So the guests that I'll be having on, I'll be asking them about what hope means to them and perhaps times in their lives when they've had hope or not had hope, and the consequences, um, and what their, their message of hope might be, so that's that's where we're going with that it's so powerful.

Speaker 1:

Annie really is so powerful. So if you could reflect back to the annie on that, was it second of july, tuesday, second of july? Yep, if you could reflect back to her now. So, people who are listening, we're just about to go into November 2024. So what's that? Like August, september, october, november. We're like three months, four months Four months For people who are listening. We're actually just trying to work out how many months there are between the second of july. We're both intellectual women, but that's a bit of a struggle this morning isn't it funny how we have to use our fingers to do that?

Speaker 1:

I was trying to do it out of camera. Um, anyway, you, everybody can listen and find their own way of how long it is in that time. But if you could reflect back to that Annie, then the Annie that was in the three day cocoon with your daughters, and now the Annie now who is, you know, equally as close with your daughters, but you're on a very different trajectory. What's been your like, what's been your biggest growth piece?

Speaker 2:

Oh, my word. That's an interesting question. I think it's given me my diagnosis, has given me a real big sense of purpose, the biggest sense of purpose that I've ever had, and, as I said earlier, it's given me a power. I feel quite powerful with this because it will um, open doors isn't quite the right phrase, but it will make people sit up and listen, and it has made people sit up and listen, um, and because I feel so productive, I feel so positive it's, it's it may be strange listening, you know, someone with incurable cancer can feel really positive, but I really really do, because I've got so much that I want to do that I aim to achieve. And that sense of purpose I've not really had before. Yes, with the business, um, I had a sense of purpose with setting that up and making wedding cakes and things, but this is a whole different level, um, and I'm absolutely loving it. It must be said, I'm absolutely loving it.

Speaker 1:

And I think that came.

Speaker 1:

Annie and I were both at a retreat where I was speaking at it and I was talking about my pillars of health, and one of my pillars of health is hope, and one of the real deepest connections that Annie and I have together is this piece around really allowing yourself to anchor into your truest purpose, whatever it is, and own it from a real deep place and, you know, surprise people with it and delight people with it and support people with it, but actually stand strong in it, no matter what that might be.

Speaker 1:

So this like to some people be like what. But when Annie and I were having this conversation, you were saying, you know, I feel really blessed. I was like I totally get where you're coming from. I totally understand because you've unlocked, through whatever path you've unlocked like your greatest purpose which allows you to really, you know, leave this fabulous legacy and support for you know lifetimes to come and brings your wonderful daughters on a journey of support as well for their lifetime and their lifetime to come. So it's a wonderful ripple effect of everything that you do, yeah, so what does Annie see for the future for you?

Speaker 2:

sorry, go on oh no, I was gonna say, um, my daughters, they're, they're friends as well who are obviously all the same age. It's really rippling out to them as well, and they're really taking it on board that that this is aimed at them and their, their age group, and some actually are in the same position as heather and elfie as well. So, and they're, they're, you know, they're fully behind everything that we're doing. So it's really lovely, really lovely it's so good.

Speaker 1:

Annie, you're like it's so good, the ripple is going to be huge. Um, you know, I already feel the ripple. It's going to be fabulous and you know anything that I can do to help with that ripple. I'm totally here for supporting you. So what do you? How do you see the future? Do you see you? Do you see yourself getting on more stages, more speaking, getting this podcast? Out what's the like, what's the short-term plan for everybody that's listening is like hey, I want to help annie. Um, what are they? What?

Speaker 2:

give a real pitch, give a real sales pitch of how, oh, oh, okay, um, I'd love to speak, yeah, I'd love to speak at events. In fact, I'm doing one in december with the lovely emma, emma hein. Um, yeah, but any of those I'd love to to speak at um. On podcasts love to be podcast guest for anyone you know that thinks I would, you know, add to their podcast. So that's going to be the next few months. We're obviously going to be setting the CIC up, so once that is up and running, obviously I'm going to want to come out and tell people about that. Come out and tell people about that. So anything in the spring that anyone is organizing, if you'd like me to come along, and even if I just do 15 minutes this is what it's all about, you know um, um, and then later on next year I'm going to be writing the book that's going to be coming out. Is the book going to be called chronicles of?

Speaker 1:

Hope or don't, we know?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, probably it all fits in, doesn't it?

Speaker 1:

It does, yeah, it does, I love it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean originally this is going to happen, but my original thought was I want to write a book about my story, but also of my mum, who had an amazing life. She was in London during the Blitz and had lots of stories to tell about her experiences there. And we've got various other family members, particularly women, who are really strong. So it's a sort of a you know where I came from kind of book, but also I'll lead into everything that's happening now. So it will be a you know the tale of how Chronicles of Hope started, how the blog started, how the podcast started, all that kind of stuff. So it'll all be contained into one easy read.

Speaker 1:

Love it, love it and on that that note.

Speaker 1:

That's it. I definitely please let people know when that comes out. Like I said every uh, which way you can contact annie will be below the podcast show notes, um, please do connect with her there, um, and please do reach out if you've got something that you want to ask her or you've got a place where she can share this um old pattern. The last question, because I've absolutely adored speaking to you and we'll probably do another episode. I can feel it. When your book comes out or when you're in a different place, say six months time, we'll do another update episode, maybe get your daughters on um.

Speaker 1:

And the last question that I always ask people, um is about what is a book that you have read that has made a like, made an impact in your life, and it can't be in any which way. It can be something that you know um, brought joy, laughter, something that allowed you to see a different perspective. It can be on anything, but it's it's when you've read something and it's changed a perspective of how you see yourself or how you live life. Have you got one? I'm so excited to hear.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I have. I have. When I was in my last few years of teaching, this new thing was coming into schools. Now, teachers are very wary of new things because they tend to sort of stay for a couple of years and then you're onto the next thing. So initially I was a bit wary about this, but once I read the book it changed my perspective on anything. And it's this one it's Carol Dweck's Mindset book and it's the subheading is changing the way you think to fulfill your potential, and it's to do with research that she carried out, I think, in the 90s, to do with fixed mindset and growth mindset and the fact that, for example, if you tell a small child that they're clever, they'll say, oh well, I'm clever, I don't have to work, then do I. Whereas if you tell a child that's a really good effort you've put in there, they'll be encouraged to put in more effort and achieve more. That's sort of the idea of it, and it really is a book about. Anyone can achieve anything, and that's sort of my life mantra now.

Speaker 1:

And that's what you're doing and that's the piece around the whole Chronicles of Hope, isn't it? Let's get some support for when you feel like you're in a place of despair because there will be moments where there's not a piece that we're denying that but actually when you lead with hope and when you can see the hope in all of the situations and have some solutions for the pieces that feel a little bit hopeless, then the hopeful gets more attention and more focus and the hope kind of shines in its brightest way. I am so delighted to have had this conversation with you. I have so much love with you, I have so much love for you and I have so much support in everything that you're doing and it's in your words. You know. This has ignited something in you that has really allowed you to shine in all your brilliance in so many ways, and I'm just excited to be part of your journey and sharing it thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, it's been lovely chatting to you. I always love chatting to you anyway, so it's lovely to do it on your podcast you are so welcome.

Speaker 1:

So thank you for so much for your time. Listeners, this is like a bumper episode because I knew it was going to be with Ali. I knew we were going to max out on our times. I said that before we started recording. I really hope that you have massively taken a lot from this episode. I feel like it's an episode to keep listening back to. It's one of those ones, but for now, take care and I will see you on the next episode. Thank you for tuning in into this week's episode. I hope that you're feeling energized, fearless and inspired to take action today to stand in your greatness. I share even more tools and resources on my I Dare to Leap email newsletter. By signing up, you not only get early access to the I Dare to Leap products and services, but you also get brand new podcast episodes delivered straight to your inbox every Monday, meaning you'll never miss your weekly dose of becoming fearless energy. Sign up now at wwwidaretoleapcom. Forward slash newsletter or click the link in the show notes below.

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Charlotte Carter

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