Rachael is an ADHD cheerleader helping you to calm your everyday overwhelm and grow your business with speed! She has ADHD and bipolar and has battled with obesity, depression and trauma along her journey. She’s a certified mental health and movement coach, ADHD coach and the founder of the Neuro Boost Business Community, helping other neurodivergent people start, grow and BOOST their businesses!
Transcript
You had some problems when you were at school is that where you want to start talking about your story?
Yes, I think that’s this part of my mission now is to support as many neurodivergent people look at the past and and sort of bring awareness from the past to support the future – and what I mean by that is look at school – what was the struggles in school? what was the struggles like at first school, middle school, high school, college? And think of this anxiety you were probably looked upon, frowned upon that was a bit odd or it was a bit – you were classed as sort of uneducated or you were in the bottom set and actually you didn’t feel like you deserved to be in that bottom set – so my struggles when I started out in school were that I didn’t want to go to school and now at 36 I’m looking at why I didn’t go to schools so part of my recovery is writing a letter to my teenage self, which is fantastic, it’s absolutely been fantastic – because I struggled with interacting with people like I struggled holding conversations you wouldn’t believe it now, but at school I really struggled both in conversations I was just not not engaged enough at school, I was – I didn’t understand what they were trying to tell me. The type of learning didn’t connect with my brain and that’s the power I have now is that I’ve got a voice to say actually my brain needs this style of learning and even over the years, so it’s the power of having the voice now to ask for help back in the day when I was little I just thought I was really odd, I just thought I didn’t fit in, that I was sick and stupid and all those negative words that I now believe to think actually – that’s barriers to my learning so yeah that’s a big part of my mission just to to support us on our diversions to to get over those negative words that are constantly going around in our brains
I think a lot of people can relate to those those same feelings that you’ll have had at school as well so how did you then transfer that into, well there’s quite a lot of things that have happened in between then and now aren’t there? So do you want to share a bit about that journey?
Yeah definitely so when I got to around about 13, 14 possibly 15 something like that and it was like GCSE time and yeah just didn’t you know my mam and dad got divorced and I was in this whirlwind of just feeling so chaotic and that you know, sums up my ADHD brain of a lot of the time it’s very chaotic very noisy and very busy oh I how I tried how I went through My Teenage life was I actually fell into the world of using alcohol because when I had some like when I went out on the weekend with friends and stuff like such a young age now it was a time for when I could sort of release and be me and get the confidence – and my brain would actually like feel quite calm, to calm the chaos you know? But far too young in an adult’s world and that really has had such an impact of me growing up but that was a way of me dealing with that was my go-to way of dealing with the world. So left school with no GCSE’s and then fell into the world of wanting to be a, you know, an older being in all the groups I felt like I was in older generation. So I did go to college and I did get like my GNVQ in ICT and you know I really stuck in with the college work because I felt like my brain was accepted more um but then on it’s been just chaotic until around about – I was diagnosed you know around about 35, so yeah it’s I think using alcohol, using sort of binge eating was my big go-to’s at a younger age, debt unfortunately using money as stimulant as a go-to to make me feel happy. Now I can at 36 say that happiness starts within – I used to feel sick at that when people used to say it out loud, that sounds all very hippy-dippy, but actually it really is it really
It’s so you now
I know I know and like, I’m saying you’ve got this and you know the empowerments that I want to hand over to the next generation of feeling accepted at any which way any colour yeah, any diversity any sort of language any – any which way you want to twirl around in the classroom you know, any which way you want to jump up and down and have fun, if it’s tantrums if it’s emotional disregulation, you are accepted as you and that’s – and that’s the big thing that I’ve probably craved as a younger at a younger age will be yeah and I love that now you do, like you say, you wander around with those t-shirts on and they always say something and I always have to read what you’re wearing and it’s like you are an expression of everything that you stand for it’s like just even without even having to open your mouth that’s it, that’s it and then that’s and I think because I have a bit of a memory issue part of me being neurodivergent, especially being ADHD I’m also the next thing so I am forgetting a lot of the time what I’ve said so it’s always nice to have reminders around the house or what you wear the people you surround yourself with, they’re the reminders of the right things that you need in your life because I’d forget
So you had these problems with alcohol, with debt, with food so then you you did something amazing after that didn’t you?
I did, I did. I decided enough was enough you know, I had had gone through a traumatic time with my mam and she had a an accident that changed my world massively and she had a brain injury and she’s recovering now six years recovery from a brain injury and at that time I was like “Wow life needs to to sort of stop change” perfect whatever I needed to do I just needed to not use alcohol or food so I decided to go on this Mega Mission as I do and then and decided to lose seven stone, maybe a form of addiction. No Looking Back even though that I felt so well but I used to just run like 36 miles just for the crack on a Sunday, don’t do that now because I’m now recognising that could be part of actual another addiction so it was what it was.
Wonderful to go through that transformation of you know, being 18 Stone and losing seven and the lessons learned through that time, I’ve stopped alcohol which is just so freeing you know, it’s four or five years or something you’ve been sober, people often say like what was the turning point for that and I just – I just had enough of wasting money, feeling utterly rubbish and wanted for my mental health to be stable and having any alcohol in my life didn’t allow me to feel feel stable so yeah, it’s six years on from the accident, I’m proud to say that my mam is after being her full-time carer she no longer needs me as a full-time carer and that was as a transition to go to from absolutely the purpose of being this head injury support you know, supporting her to walk, talk, eat be independent in the community to then go actually I’m no longer needed so this brought me along the way of lots of different businesses more recently to obviously meeting you and I think yes correct, it’s been lush you know the wanders that we’ve had together in the woods because I think we’ve got a little massive thing there haven’t we for being outside in nature.
Yeah absolutely and I think it’s been really great for me, it’s like when you when we kind of miss the bit where you started Mindstrong but after you’d lost all of your weight and got really into exercise you started Mindstrong didn’t you and that was around about the time I got to know you and came along and did some exercise stuff too but what I really liked about that was that it wasn’t just exercise, it was mindset as well and it was it was like a combination of lots of things to make you feel good which again has led to where you’ve got to now which we’ll get to in a minute and I came along and did some really great stuff with you but also became your friend which was awesome and I think that’s really interesting you know as we’ve got to talk about like find out where you come from and like join all those dots you know and that’s and you’re very open about which is great because I think people are going to be really interested in your story because it is amazing I feel like we’ve kind of just scratched the surface but it also means that the things that you’re doing now which we’ll talk about in a second I think people can like relate to you more and more because they get to know you through all of your journey and all the things that you’re really open about sharing which is amazing.
Absolutely like now I sit and I think mindstrong was, I created mindstrong after the accident because you know the brain is such a powerful, well it’s our main operating system, so you know you can’t replace the brain you know, if you, you know, if you I don’t know how you can get replacements of hips and whatever – your brain you’ve only got one brain so when that is being damaged to the extent of what I’ve seen, yeah I just know that that we have to look after our brains and with that is the people around us, what we eat, how we move, how we talk to ourselves and then Mindstrong was like it’s you know a line in the sand sort of thing saying this is part of history to make a difference now and obviously I started mindstrong all about empowering people to tell their stories and this was through lockdown obviously it was 2020 in March and I started online with some amazing affirmation t-shirts, amazing jumpers you know, what happened over and a coffee on a Sunday night when everybody was in lockdown it was you know it was making such a difference and then that’s when I decided to add the the benefits of moving for our mental health so you can go through the future it doesn’t need to be burpees and handstand walks if you want which is nice I just can’t do that, but you know I haven’t – that time people I used to sit in the doctors when I was down, well they used to say go out for a walk and I’m going what I’m broken I’m, I like, I feel like I’m dying and you tell us to go for a walk but you know it’s on this because it’s yes it’s it’s nature’s medicine being outside and moving and being friends and talking therapies as you walk absolutely marvellous
Absolutely yes and you’re an expert at that and empowering other people to do it and feel that they can get to a point where they can do that so I think that’s that’s really important isn’t it so you just ran mindstrong for quite a while and then you’ve transitioned I think you I feel like you’ve transitioned lots of times in a similar sort of area and I think I think one of the things that’s really amazing about you is that you make really fast decisions and you take really positive strong action on those decisions and make things happen and I think you’ve sort of done that and tweaked and tweaked and tweaked until you’ve got to where you are now and now we’ve got this like amazing thing going on and so do you want to tell everyone what you are doing now?
yes so I have to catch up with my brain and go what am I doing now? what are you doing now Rachael? I used to always think this was a bad thing you know it is very very spicy brain, popcorn brain, you know where I got a tattoo I wrote some popcorn because my brain does fire off but a lot of people don’t like this term but I use that as my superpower – get us into trouble sometimes like as in, like I might have launched another business like I haven’t even finished the last one! But now I feel like you know I’ve been coaching for 15 years I’ve been invested in me. I’ve been in the business, on the business you know being that coach – but now I’m so excited and I’ve always had this sort of Mission to empower and educate others so now I’m down handing down my skills as a business owner as a coach, as a mentor to other people so then they can become mentors, they can become more empowered about the neurodivergent brain. I’m I’m literally just gonna like brain dump everything out and the business now is new Neuro Boost so it’s absolutely glorious and I’m focusing on working with neurodivergent business owners to protect their mental health understand their neurological you know, ways in life to access the proper support that they deserve – you know, we deserve this support and then one of my popcorn ideas was to go into schools because obviously that’s what I did with mainstream, but going to schools and empower children on how to become entrepreneurs like how amazing with that – would learn like things like about money, would think about things like digital, or how to you know, how to move your body and you know how to release that happy hormone so it’s such, there’s so much goodness from this because couldn’t be an island, I couldn’t be everything to everyone – so I thought right how could I like split myself off and become and have neuromentors so yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s just unbelievable where my life has got to, yeah, that darkness
yes you’ve really turned that round haven’t you from from being really, because you have been in very low places to be in in this place now where things are much brighter and you’re able to help all these people and feel great at the same time. I think, I think you need to help people to feel good don’t you? This is like it’s part of Rachael.
I used to sit when I was so unwell and see people being so positive and bright and I used to get really irritated by that and I’m so, I’m sure people might be listening thinking yeah, it may have to irritate me but it only irritates us because you know you want change let me imitate you you know there’s something you want to change in your world so that it’s always a life lesson. What is the lesson that I’m learning right now through this darkness? Through this excitement ? What is the lesson? And I think that’s the the joy now of coming out the other end.
And I think as well you know, you’re not always like yeah, you’re happy, you do share the lows as well and which again, I think, that sort of means that people aren’t going to be thinking no she’s always happy you know like they’re going to see you more balanced view, really of how things are that again is relatable to them and I think it’s really it’s it’s amazing that you can you can take all these things and obviously this podcast is called brand bravery and it’s all about those moments where you pick things out and become become brave – and you you have lots of moments and I made notes for all of my guests and I’ve circled things in green that I think highlight bravery and yours is basically just I just wrote “Brave” at the top of it. I think, I think you are very brave I think you’ve been through so many things that again, you’ve turned around you know, for yourself but also for other people and not just like close family and friends, but for other people who are in similar situations and you’ve just, I feel like you’re always stepping up into that next level of bravery with what you’re doing in order to make your business more powerful and make things better for yourself and other people, so yeah you’re just like all around Brave
I can’t wait, I’ve got this image in my head of a picture that I want to do, like a photograph like me wearing some massive big granny knickers you know like the superpower sort of scenario it’s big, I mean like coming back from you know being away at the weekend for an amazing time away on retreat and I’ve come back and I mean my brand is any way is coming like a rocket because I feel like it’s just that, just you know, it just sure wasn’t you know obviously you’re all about branding but I feel like that is a brand now that I can like be excited about because it’s that’s we’re rocket enough we’re taken off we’re we’re given power to people or the neurodivergence that have always felt like hidden away a bit like a female Hugh Jackson off The Greatest Showman, so if anybody yeah please, please, if you haven’t watched it, but the leader he, he sort of wants to bring all the different people together in this circus – empowerment – and I feel like that’s what I’m doing I feel like it
I love that. So you’re the circus leader, the ringleader, is that what it is?
Yeah the astronaut, the space man, whatever
Fantastic. OK so you need to share some tips with us now about how we can have brand bravery or amazing success in our business because obviously you have been there and done that many times so you’re an expert (no pressure) so what have you got for us?
I think the biggest top tip is – there’s always a way and this is a place that has come from the time with my mam when she had you know gone through a brain injury now there’s something called neuroplasticity it is a mouthful but that is a proof. That is proof you know, people need proof to know or to trust that there is always a way, so with neuroplasticity and brain injury – so if there’s a bit of brain that’s been damaged or are you just not working as it should be what the brain does is this always makes a root and it goes around the problem so it always finds a way it either goes over, under, to the side, you know – there’s never ever – it never stops it never
So clever
Oh isn’t it?! And that is proof and the life lesson in that is that there’s always a way, so even if you’re sitting there right now listening to this thinking I’m not I feel stuck I don’t know what to do I don’t know which way to turn I can’t see the wood for the trees just take a step back to nature you know, have a friend for coffee but listen inside to what your intuition and what intuition what you’ve got saying you know, but know there’s always a way so that’s a massive top tip and I think that’s it yeah ever in the world is there’s always a way and another thing really is having positive affirmations on your t-shirts, around your house, little reminders around the house just to give you that little spark of I can’t do that keep them in the house because then your body and your brain doesn’t get used to seeing picture in the same place so it’s good yes it is – positive affirmations around your house and get the kids involved making their own affirmations as well and even the husbands but mine’s quite blocked under that heavy stuff – so but you’ll see it everywhere subconsciously it’s going in his brain, yeah yes – do you think that’s enough top tips? Because that’s a big one!
I think that’s fantastic, absolutely fantastic – so I will be putting links to all of the places in the show notes, but if people are listening to this and you know, not going to move on to the next podcast straight away and not hear it where’s the best place for them to go and find out more about you or about what you offer?
Just type in Rachael Beattie into Facebook and then boom there’ll be loads of magic happens, yeah and my Facebook page is probably the biggest I love people coming in to connect on there with this I’m, I’m you know, I’m talking dogs, I’m talking kids, I’m talking Granny knickers, talk whatever, tattoos, it’s a lot, it’s great fun but I’m also giving them lots of value about neurodivergent brains and how you can access support as well
yeah wonderful thank you so much Rachel’s has been brilliant 🙂
Thank you Amy.
Amy Purdie, The Brand Explorer takes you on an Adventure to discover what your brand is all about, helping you with your brand strategy, brand visuals and content ideas. You can join Amy’s Brand Success Club or join her in your very own Private Brand Adventure.
Amy has been enjoying designing logos, brand identities, illustration, print work and websites – since 2007 fuelled mainly by tea and chocolate.