Actually I can! Interview with Kayleigh Greenacre
We all dream of achieving something, whether it is small and tangible or big and imaginative. Kayleigh Greenacre talks to Brand You about how we can reach those goals with the right mindset, self-belief, willingness and empowerment.
I always wanted to be the best and achieve my goals in everything that I did
Hi Kayleigh, when people ask what it is that you do, what do you say?
I am the founder & CEO of ‘Actually, I Can!’, a mindset and business coach, Ted X speaker, motivational speaker, educator and assistant headteacher. I have quite a few ‘hats’, however ultimately my passion and mission is to empower, inspire and support females with their mindset and businesses.
Can you tell us a little about yourself, what’s your background?
From a very young age, I always wanted to be the best and achieve my goals in everything that I did. Being talented in music, performing arts, sport and public speaking, I was driven by success and motivated by the challenge of wanting to pursue a media career, with a passion for TV, film and marketing. After graduating from university, I decided to teach media and film in schools, to share my passion and to support students to pursue their own career goals in media.
When did you first start taking an interest in coaching and the concept of mindset, and why?
I had previously coached during my 11 years in school education and was becoming more aware of how important the mindset was to achieving and succeeding in life. It was once I hit my early thirties that I really grew an interest in positive psychology and the impact it has on people’s happiness and success. It was at this point that I began writing my book and starting to plan out my business. I completed a master’s degree in education and a became a Woman in Leadership graduate. I took on the role of assistant headteacher and developed my skills to become a certified life coach.
“I wanted to demonstrate to my daughter that females can be strong leaders.”
This has led you on a journey to support and inspire women to develop a growth mindset and empowering them to achieve their full potential? We’d love to hear more, how did it all get started?
The launch of ‘Actually, I Can!’ came at a very challenging time in my life, having separated from my partner and becoming a single mum. It was apparent to me that I wanted to demonstrate to my daughter that females can be strong leaders who are able to achieve whatever they want, regardless of personal setbacks. I wanted to prove to myself that I could overcome this challenging time, despite how I was feeling. Struggling with a limiting belief of failure, I was able to overcome this fear and launch my dream business allowing me to inspire, teach and coach females to support them with their own success stories, both in business and in life.
Who is your typical client and why do they come to you for help?
My clients are mainly female business owners who are looking to level up their mindset and grow their businesses. They generally come to me for my help with mindset work as well as business strategy. Many of them need support with their self belief, confidence and showing up online.
Do you think those are the main reasons women hold back from taking action and applying the right mindset?
Yes 100%. Without self belief, we as individuals will struggle to achieve our goals because we truly need to believe that we CAN.
“Have the confidence to set your goals and go for them, never mind how hard they feel or how far away they seem.”
You’re known as ‘The Queen of Mindset’ and in your excellent TEDx Talk last December, you shared the four key strategies that have helped you to create your own mindset to success. Can you tell us what they are?
Yes of course!
Be brave and confident
Confidence is extremely important. Have the confidence to set your goals and go for them, never mind how hard they feel or how far away they seem. But so many of us find it hard to adopt this strategy. Why? Because our fears and self limiting beliefs creep in and they hold us back from progressing towards our goals and success. This is something people should work on every single day. It may take days, months or even years to develop confidence, however working on your mindset to develop this will help you on your journey to success.
Be curious
I have spent many years being curious. Curiosity is a characteristic and strategy that is linked to learning. Be curious about what you are trying to achieve and about how you will achieve it. To want to learn will always help you move forward: you will absorb more information and knowledge and develop more skills in order to succeed, because you are curious about how things work and what you can do to progress. This can be reading books, listening to podcasts, attending master classes and workshops or working with a coach… all of these strategies will help you grow your own knowledge and understanding within your field.
“So many of us are threatened by the success of others; we judge ourselves and our own success based on someone else’s.”
Be inspired by others
I had a dream and a goal which I wanted to reach. I could see that other successful life coaches were doing exceptionally well within the industry, so I researched, I explored and I was INSPIRED by their success! I was empowered by their messages and stories because it drove me to want to do just as well as they did.
So many of us are threatened by the success of others; we judge ourselves and our own success based on someone else’s. We say things like, “I’m not as confident as they are”; “I don’t have as many followers and engagement as they do”; or “I will never be as successful as they are.” But everyone is an individual and on their own unique journey. You can never compare your journey or success to someone else’s because they are completely different. They may have started five years ago and been working 14-hour days to get to where they are today.
So rather than judging ourselves on other people’s success, we should use their success as an inspiration to us. A way of seeing what is achievable and learning from their personal stories. Think about who inspires you, and why. Look at their story, life, methods, philosophies, successes and mindset. How have they become so successful? What can you learn from them?
Take on risks and challenges and accept failure
One of my biggest takeaways from admiring inspiring people was that you should take risks and challenges, and accept failure or setbacks as part of your journey to success. Take on new, exciting challenges that will help you to progress towards your end goal. Be a risk-taker. Tackle challenges head-on with confidence and determination and accept that failure is possible. We all learn from failure and are able to move on from it, providing we see it as a lesson.
“Mindset can make such an incredible difference to our success, happiness and lives.”
You have also written a book, Actually, I Can! A Mindset to Success, which I expect came from a desire to share your knowledge with others who would find it useful. Are you enjoying your first experience as a published author?
Absolutely! The biggest reward of being a published author is being able to share my story, strategies and experiences with others. The book was written during the first lockdown in the summer of 2020. Whilst the majority of us were stuck at home and many people were facing so many challenges mentally, I felt called to share my knowledge and advice on how the mindset can make such an incredible difference to our success, happiness and lives.
You have achieved a lot in your life so far, the most important role probably being a mother, while juggling a very successful career. Have your dreams all come true or are there still more you’re reaching for?
I still have goals I would like to achieve and will keep focused, striving and working towards them over the next few years. My ultimate goal is to impact a million females with their mindset, self belief and confidence in order for them to reach their goals and dreams, therefore I am continuing on my journey to do just that.
Finally, you’ve given us some excellent guidance on how we can work on our mindset. Can you also leave us with a few of your personal tips on how to then achieve that wonderful sense of true self-empowerment we all strive for?
The main advice I can give is to never give up and remember why you started. You have the power to achieve any goal you set your mind to. Sometimes you will face fear and rejection, however this is a test of our strength as individuals that is challenging us. It may not happen overnight, or within the next few months, but it WILL happen if you truly believe in yourself.
Article published in Brand You Magazine – Edition 16
Interview by Olivia Marocco, Editor-in-Chief of Brand You Magazine
Kayleigh Greenacre, founder of Actually I Can
Founder and CEO of Actually, I Can!, Kayleigh is a certified mindset and success coach, TEDx speaker and a highly skilled and qualified educator. She supports females with building their confidence and self belief; developing a growth mindset; and adapting and aligning action towards achieving their goals.
Instagram: actually1can
Website: actuallyican.co.uk
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